Where Every Bird Falls
by CaughtinMyHead
Summary: After Robin messes up on a mission Batman makes a decision, and Robin finds himself deeper in crime than ever. Although just as his problems seem to be solved, certain villians have another idea in mind for Robin. Robin centric
1. Only Human

**Disclaimer** – I don't own Young Justice

"Hey, there he is! Stop him!"

Robin knew one thing for certain at this point: hiding from the good guys was much worse than hiding from the bad guys. It took four years to build this hero, and only one night to tear him down to a criminal. Although the world may be fooled Robin was not a criminal, merely a thirteen year old kid caught within the darkness of false accusations and misconceived evidence.

Robin knew he had done nothing illegal, but then here he was hiding in the shadows while cops run by with their guns released from their holsters ready to shoot. Never once did it cross Robin's mind that the good guys would be aiming at him.

Once the authorities are gone Robin drops to the ground and sits with his back against the wall. He is completely alone, nothing but desolate sidewalks and the distant sound of sirens. He needed danger, thrill, something to distract his feelings of bewilderment and utter disbelief. Yet, the weight of his thoughts practically chained him to where he sat and forced him to acknowledge them. . .

Heroes don't run from the good guys.

Two Weeks Earlier

"_You should see a door on the East side of the building,_" Robin told Superboy and Artemis through Miss Martian's telepathic link, _"I have disabled the security systems for that entrance, but be careful this place is practically infested with alarms."_

"_Can't you disable them?"_ Artemis asked.

"_I can, but I'm working on it,"_ Robin replied completely engrossed into his holographic computer, _"they've got about a million firewalls."_

"_We'll be careful,"_ Superboy informed him with a good amount of conviction.

"_KF, Aqualad, get ready,"_ Robin said moving on to the West security system, _"I almost have the West alarms disabled."_

"_When aren't we ready?"_ Kid Flash smirked with his playful pride.

"_We'll be okay,"_ Aqualad insured him. _"Just be sure you and M'gann are vigilant when you come through the emergency exit on the roof, there's going to be a lot of them and we need to keep in mind what Batman told us."_

"You think there'll be guards on the roof?" Miss Martian asked inquisitively.

"_They shouldn't be expecting anyone_," Robin answered,_ "although by the looks of their security system they seem to be overly paranoid if you ask me."_

"_Rob, what's taking so long," _Kid Flash complained,_ "usually you breeze through all this hacking junk."_

"_I'm trying," _Robin forced his concentration to work properly.

"_I don't mean to disrupt, but Kid Flash is right,"_ Miss Martian joined in meekly, _"you seem off."_

"_Let him concentrate," _Aqualad defended him, _"he'll get it."_

Although Robin knew he'd get it soon enough he still felt himself struggling. It wasn't that the systems were too complicated for him to decipher and hack into, he just felt unfocused. His mind just didn't want to cooperate tonight, it was like no matter how hard he tried to keep him mind locked onto his computer he couldn't help but doze off from it.

"_West alarms have been deactivated,"_ Robin stated them with much relief.

A few moments of interweaving through frustratingly long and overly protected systems Robin finally got the roof alarms disabled. Standing up from his crouched position next the building he felt himself get woozy, his mind blurring slightly, and stumbling to his feet. Miss Martian was already flying to the roof just as Robin pulled out his grappling gun to propel himself up.

There weren't any guards on the roof, and the mission was starting to look up. Everything could and should fall perfectly into plan if everyone stays on their toes and keeps their eyes open. Considering the dangerous of the mission it was more of a get in and get out mission, they needed to be stealthier than normal and take their time if that's what it means to be cautious.

Although the moment Robin stepped onto the roof he felt the dizziness again, along with the rush of a power fatigue, and fell to his knees. Suddenly it felt like two hands were pressing onto his temples, this was soon followed by the throbbing beat that rang through his head.

"_Robin, are you okay?"_ Miss Martian asked with genuine concern as flew back to him and helped him to his feet. _"What happened?"_

"_I-I don't know,"_ he stumbled over his words until he started to feel better again, "come on we can't waste anymore time."

"_Are you sure you're okay?"_

"_Positive,"_ Robin lied as he gave her a thumbs up, and then proceeding to break open the small emergency exit that juts out slightly from the ground of the roof. Once it was open they jumped in landing onto a small metal landing that navigated around the whole room, they were standing above a large mass of some huge and some lanky men who stood around a bunch of cardboard boxes.

This was the part that Miss Martian and Robin would need to be almost invisible to insure everything went the way planned, but things changed fast.

"_Do you hear that?"_ Miss Martian asked Robin telepathically.

There was an almost inaudible beeping coming from the door behind them.

"_Not possible,"_ Robin turned around spastically, "I shut down the security system." The beeping suddenly became blaring like a siren and a thick metal palette slammed across the emergency exit, along with all the other doors and windows. Robin scrambled back onto his holographic computer, but it was too late.

"What happened?" Batman demanded in panic as the team returned to Mount Justice.

The team practically dragged themselves in. M'gann had her shoulders and head dropped slightly in what seemed like shame, Kaldur was standing tall with absolutely no expression on his face, Superboy looked off in the distance with his arms crossed, Kid Flash was tapping his foot in frustration, and Artemis had her arm around Robin helping him stand.

"Something went wrong," Kaldur stepped forward, "we're not exactly sure how, but the alarms went off and we were revealed. Being the leader, I apologize for the mishap, but we did complete our mission."

"At a cost that could have been life-threatening," Batman said strictly, "now Artemis take Robin to the infirmary. The cut doesn't look to bad, but we still need to be sure. As for the rest of you, you are very lucky."

Following not too far behind Artemis Batman knew he had been too strict, they did complete the mission. Although it wasn't the way the Justice League would handle things, they at least got it done. Yet he couldn't help worrying when things went wrong, because it didn't just endanger this team of teenage sidekicks. It endangered his partner, his little bird, his son. Dick had stumbled into his life so easily, and he would imagine it being that much easier to stumble back out. Without Dick he wouldn't know how he'd go on, both of his worlds would be damaged. He'd be saving lives and living his own completely alone.

Once at the infirmary Robin insisted he was fine, although his exhaustion may be hard for the other team members to see Batman could see it. Usually full of, at times, unnecessary energy Robin was walking with shoulders slumped and feet dragging.

When Artemis was gone Batman turned to Robin and treated his bleeding forehead.

"Don't blame the team," Robin admitted, "it was my fault. I thought I had disabled the last security system, but obviously I must have made a mistake or something. . ." His voice trailed, Batman could sense his disbelief.

"I would be lying if I said that it didn't surprise me,"

"I know," Robin perked up slightly, "all I had to do was hack into their systems. Their systems were complicated, but I have done it about a million times before. I must have gotten 'whelmed or something."

"What do you mean?" Batman asked with inquisitiveness.

"Well," Robin slouched back down to his exhausted self, "it was like no matter how hard I tried to focus I just couldn't. Don't get me wrong I have killer concentration, but everything about tonight is still pretty foggy to me. I kept getting dizzy and tired, and, well, it really isn't a big deal. I'll be better next time."

Batman pondered for a moment, although deep down he knew what was really going on here. Except admitting it would make him feel like a bad father, not matter how fixable the problem was, he knew he had been neglecting it for a while now. He soon realized he wouldn't have to face it on his own.

"Sorry to interrupt," Black Canary came in without them even realizing it, "but Batman I need to speak with you whenever you have a moment."

"Yes," Batman said slowly as he finished with Robin, "Robin just stay here for a moment."

Then he guided Black Canary just far enough for Robin to not hear them talking softly.

"I heard about what happened," she went straight to the point.

"Yes, the team, they accidently trigged an alarm and ran head first into a giant group of venom pumped super humans," Batman sighed crossing his arms behind his back.

"The team accidently trigged an alarm or Robin forgot to disable one?" she asked being careful of her words. "Now, I – we – know Robin and one of his strongest points is his technical abilities, hence hacking."

"He is only _human_," Batman said as though it was a confession rather than a statement.

"I know, and human's make mistakes," Black Canary continued, "but the team told me how he had been acting not himself lately, and then M'gann told he nearly passed out on the roof for no reason at all. Nothing is wrong with Robin, he just needs sleep."

"I know."

"And I understand that Gotham has been practically swarmed with villains ever since the Jail break last week, but," Black Canary shrugged, "like you said: he's only human and human's need sleep. That includes you Bruce." She reached out and touched his arm in a sympathetic way.

"You're right," Batman replied, "Robin needs the sleep, but for me to take even one night off is almost impossible. Lately everything, not just villains, has been starting to pile up and I need to handle them now."

"I understand, just be good to yourself okay," he gave a half-grin, "and as for Robin?"

"I guess I'll have to make him take a break the dynamic duo for a little while," Batman sighed, "although I'm sure he'll fight the idea."

"For now all you need to worry about is his sleep, which shouldn't be too hard," she chuckled gesturing back to Robin who was sound asleep where Batman left him.

Although they couldn't possibly see that this moment, this decision, was about to trigger more than some security systems. To fall you have to be near an edge, and for this little bird he was a step closer to the end.

**Hope you guys liked it, please, please review and tell me what you think. I am going to write much more, will be up soon – the latest would be a week. Thanks!**


	2. A Handout

**Thanks for the reviews guys, means a lot! So sorry about how long this update took, my computer broke down and wasn't able to fix it for some time, plus I was very busy. I am going to try and get the rest of the chapters in as soon as possible so I can clear my guilty conscious.**

After sleeping all night and late into the next day Dick awoke refreshed, yet, still with left over feelings of drowsiness from just awaking from the deepest sleep he had ever had. It felt like he had only fallen asleep a minute ago, and, yet, he felt like he had slept for ages. With squinted eyes he reacquaints himself to the bright sunshine emanating through his opened window, and still half blind he gets up to stretch.

Familiar feelings of hominess greet him as he realizes he is back in his bedroom in Wayne Manor.

After finally shaking off his weariness and getting ready for what was left of the day, Dick headed to the training facility. Although half way down the stairs he found a bat lurking at the bottom.

"Dick, we need to talk," Bruce said in an unalarmed, yet, serious way.

"Caught me just at the right time," Dick smirked rustling his raven black hair with the palm of his hand. He felt somewhat detached from the "ages" of sleep he had just taken, and talking to his father sounded as warmly inviting as ever.

"Do you know why you nearly passed out on the last mission?"

"Needed sleep, then I went to sleep, and now I'm much better," Robin said nonchalantly, then brought his hand to his forehead, "if only this scar would stop hurting."

"Just to be safe," Bruce began, "I think it would be best if you gave the Dynamic Duo a break for a while. We can't risk something like this happening again, it could jeopardize the team. For the next couple of weeks I'll handle Gotham, or at least until things settle down a little more."

"A break," Dick repeated with incredulity, "like I said I'm much better, and I'll be more alert next time. I'm not going to mess up again. . . You need me." Dick felt desperation poking at him, this whole situation made me feel like such a sidekick.

"Dick, I won't let you endanger yourself," he replied sorrowfully, "I can't be the reason for you getting hurt."

"I can take care of myself," Dick said quietly.

"It's only temporary," Bruce informed him with still slight sadness in his voice, "I need to do what's right for you, as your father. Not as Batman."

Two Nights Later

It was practically driving Robin insane, the thought of him lying in his cozy bed while the Dark Knight is out on the streets fighting crime and saving lives. He couldn't explain how much it bothered him, always looking up to Batman, and always forcing himself to live up to his expectations for Robin. Someday he was supposed to be the next Batman, yet, at times he found himself fighting for nothing more than his father's pride. Although deep down he knew it wasn't needed, he found himself with the lingering urge for redemption.

Lying still was becoming nearly impossible, not even the quiet tranquility of night's breeze whistling along the frame of his window could relax him. His mind craved the thrill, the surge of blood, the skipping of a heartbeat, and even the roll of anticipation when trying to be invisible. He was completely full of sleep, and the idea of drifting off for another night was like an irritating rash.

Sleeping the bare minimal and fighting crime the bear maximum had become his schedule from the day Batman took him under his wing, and Robin was determined to keep it that way.

Three Hours Later

"Nice night for a robbery I'm guessing," Robin dropped in on two thugs who just mugged a gas station, how typical, but it was better than nothing. He didn't want risk anything big and chance running into Batman when he should be at home asleep.

The thugs took off running down the alley in between the gas station and an old warehouse, what they didn't realize is that Robin was full of energy and ready for a good chase. The thugs were like jogging bags of meat and Robin couldn't help but wish they had been a little more difficult than this. Just a small substitution, Robin assured himself.

Just as Robin pulls out a batarang his vision on the two thugs is blurred by a mass of dusk and heaps of brick that came tumbling down before him, separating him from the thugs. Looking up he see's part of the warehouse blow off, and just as he is about to leap over the heap he is stopped.

Like ramming face onto a pole Robin feels a metal pipe smack him in the forehead, bursting open his almost healed wound. His head throbs for a moment as a burning sensation seems to contaminate his skin. Still somewhat dizzy from the hit he looks up and see's a body before him.

He couldn't see whether it was a girl or a boy, they wore a long black rope with a hood that covered the first half of their face with fabric and the other half with shadows.

"You let them get away!" Robin shouted before registering the figure might be working with them. Although the more he thought about it, he realized it would be kind of weird for the figure to go to the trouble of blowing up part of building just to stop him.

"It doesn't matter now," a girl's voice spoke dryly, "they aren't important. It does shock me to see the Batman's little pet squandering his time with a couple of gas station robbers."

"I don't know who you are," Robin stood up brushing himself off, "but blowing up a building doesn't strike me as the brightest idea either. If those thieves didn't make the guy in the gas station call the police, then the explosion certainly will."

"Forget the police," she snapped, "I'm not here for a fight or for a good kill or whatever else you heroes like to stop. . ."

"What are you here for then?"

"I'm here with a proposal, well, more like a handout," she continued, "I'm here to help you out. It is the kind of help that comes toll free. I've heard of you and your little sidekick justice league, and what if I told you that stopping the bad guys could become . . . a little less sweat to break?"

"I'd say you'd be taking all the fun out of it," Robin smirked.

"So you think," she replied, "but consider this."

She began to head towards Robin, and then just as she reached into the robe to grab something Robin quickly throws his hand to his utility belt in caution, but she only pulls out a folder. Shoving in to his chest she walks off. Standing with a baffled expression, Robin looks down at the folder in his arms and slowly begins to open it.

The Next Day:

"Hey Rob!" Wally called out as Robin entered Mount Justice, although in the process Wally dropped one of the many hotdogs he had been eating into Artemis's lap. Her face scrunched in compulsion as the ketchup and mustard splattered on her shirt.

"Hey KF-"

"Pig!" she shouted in frustration, "You're lucky this isn't my favorite shirt or I'd pound you."

Lifting the hotdog with two fingers Wally took it from her and began to stuff that down with the rest of the hotdogs, Artemis couldn't help but chuckle. Then she rolled her eyes to cover the laugh.

"I'm going to clean off," Artemis announced and headed for the bathroom, while passing Robin she gently touched his shoulder, "good to have you back Robin."

"Thanks," he smiled lightly.

"So what's the deal, I thought it was just a cut?" Conner asked bluntly.

"It was, I just needed some sleep, but I'm back now," Robin said quickly. His mind was somewhere else today, and he wasn't really in the mood for the chit chat. Although he knew he owed it to them for his unexpected absence.

"Are you sure? We were all so worried," M'gann added.

"Positive," he replied, "Bats just overreacted."Although they wouldn't know exactly what he meant he couldn't help but slyly blow off steam about him.

"Well," Wally said between chews, "while you were off sleeping in your cozy bed Canary has been working us like crazy."

"She just wants to insure we can handle ourselves on the field Wally," Kaldur said entering the room.

Somewhere throughout the conversation Robin managed to slip away from the group, and went to think about the folder. He couldn't believe what was in it, he should show it to Batman, yet, he refrained. Why? Because it was exactly what he had wanted, and it was too tempting to pass on.


	3. Lighten Up

One Week Later:

_Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. . ._

Robin's mischievous laugh echoed off the two buildings and carried through the air. The Joker's henchmen stopped packing boxes and slowly moved to the center of the room, their heads turning in all directions, yet, not seeing a single soul.

_I can see you, but you can't see me,_ Robin thought indulging on their confusion. The only part that dampened Robin's pleasure was that their disturbing clown masks covered the baffled and concerned looks on their faces. _First things first_, Robin thought. . .

Out of the six henchmen four of them had long black rifles, and one by one a grappling hook shot out from nowhere and hooked onto each of their guns and ripped them out of the arms. Robin only managed to snag two before their angry yelling was joined by the sound of gun shots piercing the air. As the men dispersed to look for this mysterious gun thief Robin put his plan into action.

Taking his batarang he threw it such precision it could have cut the air, then it skimmed just passed two henchmen and stuck in between the bricks of the wall. Before they could even look up the batarang exploded and threw their bodies like ragdolls through some crates and making a mountain of crates topple of them.

"There!" The last henchmen with a gun shouted then began to shoot chaotically into the air, although Robin was already descending down and across them with his grappling hook. Then he kicked the gun out of his hands from the side and dropped to the ground just before his grappling hook lead him into a wall.

He tripped slightly when he hit the ground, but even with his feet throbbing from the impact he was back up in less than a second. _Okay, four guys, one of me,_ Robin assessed in a split second, _best tactic: confusion._

Spinning back around he kicked one of the guys out of his way, and then threw down a gas pellet before the henchmen's feet. Gas exploded out along with an assortment of coughing, and taking advantage of their disorientation Robin attacked the closest guy to him.

He punched him once on the cheek, and then proceeded to swiftly dodge his opponent's punches; this only infuriated the henchman more. Finally he swooped up and slammed his fist straight into the henchman's jaw which threw him back a few steps, and then Robin grabbed the jacket part of the guy's suit and with all his strength threw him into an upcoming guy.

Unfortunately the next kick his threw was not swift enough, and he could feel the harsh yank of his ankle as one of the henchmen caught his foot just before it could hit him. Although the next move would leave him in a bad position afterwards Robin had no choice, and he launched off the one leg he was leaning upon and his foot slammed against the guy's temple.

After landing on his stomach he rolled back onto his back to see a large foot coming straight down towards his face, he rolled just out of the way in time to find another guy's huge fist engulfing his arm and trying to yank him up off the ground. Although the guy quickly let go when Robin tasered him with his hand held taser.

Robin fought for probably two minutes before the henchmen either couldn't get up or ran off in defeat. Just as Robin was catching his breath someone stepped out from the late night fog settling itself in the air, it was the Joker.

The Joker was clapping slowly to the rhythm of Robin's pounding heart, and Robin could feel the Joker's menacing presence slowly swallow up the space between them. Batman's greatest foe, and even though Robin hadn't ever ran into the Joker on his own he wasn't too fearful.

"Well, it seems a little birdie has wondered from its nest," the Joker smirked, then without any warning a maniacal laugh escaped his mouth. It was the kind of disrupting laugh that reeked of insanity. "No Batman, no team of sidekicks, and, yet, before me is the Boy Wonder! . . . . Well, this really isn't a good time for me. Come back later if you will."

Then the Joker turned around and began to step away.

"Joker-" Robin began to call out.

Suddenly the Joker wiped back around with a large gun in his hand, Robin jumped out of the way so quickly he nearly broke his elbow when he hit the cement. Although Robin soon realized it wasn't a real gun, it was just one of the Joker's jokes, a gun that fires a little white flag that has the word "_BANG!"_ written on it.

The Joker began to laugh again, this time harder than the last.

"Did I scare you?" he asked in an unnaturally loud voice, but suddenly his tone changed again. "Lighten up a little, relax, it's only a joke."

Back onto his feet Robin explained, "Yeah, well you're jokes are a little out-dated and so was your little plan."

"My little plan you say?" The Joker repeated. "You mean this one?"

Then the Joker pulled out a small metal box with three red buttons on it.

"Yes that one," Robin smiled devilishly, "I already deactivated all three of the bombs."

"OH YEAH!" the Joker shouted then pressed one and waited for the bomb closest to their location to go off, but nothing happened. Then he began pressing it rapidly over and over again, until he began banging all the buttons. Finally he threw it onto the ground and smashed it into a ton of tiny pieces with his foot. Then straightening his jacket and calming down he continued, "Well, then. There's nothing else to do then. . ."

Abruptly the Joker pulled out his bladed playing cards and sent them speeding through the air with just a flick of the wrist, but Robin ducked and began to run to the side of the Joker. Coming in on him the Joker flicked out a long paper thin knife, Robin could see it glistening under the moon light.

Finally face to face with the Joker Robin threw the first punch, although the moment he did it he knew how reckless that had been. The Joker caught Robin's fist in his hand, then jabbing forward with the knife Robin slide to the side just missing the tip of the blade. Then bringing up his knee Robin kneed the Joker in the stomach causing the release of his fist.

The Joker began backing up, crouched slightly, but he didn't get far until Robin's foot came flying up to the Joker chin. Although after a moment the Joker looked up with an enormous grin on his face. _Oh no,_ Robin thought through the sea of regret in his mind. He may have kicked the Joker in the face, but while his leg was up it gave the opportunity for him to grab Robin's utility belt and throw it back in the ruble on the other side of the building.

That's when Robin shamefully felt his first pinch of fear, because it occurred to him that even Batman struggled to take this villain down.

Ten Minutes Earlier:

Batman weakly returned back to Bruce after heading in early for one night, he was too exhausted to fight anymore and just this once he needed to tend to himself. _One way to know you're in urgent need of a break is to almost lose a fight with a couple of thugs,_ Batman shook his head with indignity,_ You need to get a handle on things. You're so weak you can't think straight or fight well, and to make it worse you don't even have a partner to back up when you need him most._

Before shuffling off to bed he decided to check on Dick first, and so he dragged himself up the stairs and towards his room. Opening the door a crack he found Dick sound asleep, part of him was actually jealous. _Don't worry you'll be asleep soon,_ he told himself.

Then just as he began to shut the door he saw something flicker, like a light or something similar. He opened the door and walked forward, then he saw it again and he realized it was a flash of static. Then reaching his hand forward he discovered his worst suspicion was true, it was a hologram and Dick was nowhere to be found.

"Richard," Batman growled with irritation in his voice.

About the time he got into the bat mobile his adrenalin woke him right up, although the stiffness his muscles was starting to seem invincible. Luckily he kept a tracking device in Robin's utility belt, although at times with a lot of movement it was hard to get a clear tracking on it. And there was a lot of movement tonight, which meant he had to be fighting, and this only heightened his worry. _Worry now, question your strength as a father later,_ Batman told himself weakly.

Ten Minutes Later:

"COME ON BIRD BOY!" the Joker shouted swinging his knife at Robin who had been dodging and desperately trying to come up with a plan. Although when the Joker's knife just skimmed Robin's arm he could heard the ripping sound of his cape, but seeing the blood was worse. This caught him off guard and gave the Joker a chance to hit him.

As the Joker's fist smashed upon Robin's cheek Robin couldn't deny his shock when he felt the Joker's bony knuckles through those leathery purple gloves, and after that hit he got another into his gut. Then finally he stabbed the knife just below Robin's shoulder, and Robin yelled out in agony. Blood seeped out disturbingly around the knife, and before Robin could even truly register the Joker kicked him back into a pile of crates.

"Don't tell me you need the big bat to come and save you?"

Five Minutes Earlier:

"What the hell is happening?" Batman shouted in a distressed rage._ Even with a lot of movement I can still pick up some sort of signal, _Batman thought, _but this it's hardly picking up anything! It's all just static shit. . . This is not good._

He had been so worried and angry that he hadn't even realized he was driving so fast that he almost crashed around three times. All this mystery, and not knowing was making him reckless. Yet, the only way to solve it was to find Robin.

"Wait," Batman whispered, and finally he got just enough pieces of a signal to find Robin's location, "I've found him."

Five Minutes Later:

"Come on, Batman never trained you to fight?" the Joker asked mockingly. Then he bent down towards the Boy Wonder, Robin almost flinched at the sight of his slimy yellow teeth, and with a huge smile on his face the Joker began to press the knife further into Robin's shoulder. This caused Robin to cringe and groan breathlessly in a terrible misery, the worst part was that he could see in the Jokers eyes that he enjoyed every moment of his pain.

"You always need something don't you?" the Joker asked violently. "You NEED this! You NEED that! You need your little sidekick buddies, then you need Batman, and then you can't even put up a good fight with your little weapons over there!"

Then after gathering all his strength Robin snapped.

"I don't need anything!" Robin shouted furiously at the top of his lungs, then bringing his legs up he kicked the Joker away from him. Then Robin grabbed a tight grip onto the knife in his shoulder, and then he excruciatingly ripped it out and let it drop to the floor. Panting he watched his blood splatter onto the cement.

Then charging the Joker in all fury he began kicking and punching at him, each time the Joker would duck and cover in unexplainable speed. _He's trying to wear you out,_ Robin told himself_, get over your anger and use your skills. . . Man, now I know how Superboy feels._

Robin slowed down, and finally started to beat the Joker.

Present Time:

Just as the bat mobile swerved into the alleyway he found Robin fighting the Joker, although the arrival of the bat mobile was just enough to distract Robin to finally let the Joker regain his position at the top of the fight.

"Robin!" Batman shouted just as he began to get out of his car, but it was too late.

Joker had already slipped on his deadly joy buzzer, and with a devious smile on his face as he grabbed Robin's hand. As it electrocuted Robin's entire body the Joke stood their shaking his hand, laughing as Robin fell to the floor.

"Must be shy," Joker joked gesturing to Robin.

That's when Batman grabbed Joker by the throat and slammed into the wall next to them. Pure resentment daggered in his eyes, and for a moment the idea of crushing his throat within his fist became dangerously inviting.

"Come on, come on," Joker teased, "don't be a poor sport."

Then holding up his hand with the joy buzzer on it he began to wiggle his fingers mockingly, but Batman smacked the buzzer out of hand. Joker began to say something, but Batman just slammed him into the wall again. For a moment he wanted the Joker to fight back, fight back like he fought Robin, but he knew the Joker knew in his malevolent mind that is what he would want him to do. Give him an excuse to kill him.

"You will pay for this Joker," Batman announced threateningly.

"Oh, but you're wrong. . . He will be the one to pay for this."

"FOR WHAT!" Batman shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Everything."

**Sorry if this chapter was a little confusing or for the reason that it randomly went to Robin fighting the Joker and his Henchmen. This will become much clearer during the next chapter. Hope you liked it!**


	4. One Last Night

His eyes fluttered open from the bright light pouring down upon him, the room spinning slightly and a sudden roll of nausea greeted him. Dazed and slightly bewildered Dick awoke back at the Batcave, and although he was livid with himself he sighed in relief. Relief that his chest still rose and fell from the control of his own breath, that his heart still pumped blood, and that thoughts still ran through his head. For a quick moment back there he really did belief it was the end for him, just for a quick moment.

Just as he painfully tried to sit up Bruce entered with a presence like death and a glare like daggers, Dick dreaded what came next, and more than dread he felt shame, because if he had been able to handle to the details of his plan Batman should have never had to have come to the rescue and find his son going behind his back.

"Dick," Bruce said with a stern wrap around his voice, "I'm not even going to begin to explain how incredibly stupid that was, because if I trained you right then you should already know that. I want answers now." Dick noticed that his last sentence he had accidently started talking in his Batman voice, that only happened when he was put off by his own anger.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Dick apologized, "it shouldn't have turned out that way. I was somewhere else. I should have been able to . . . to do something! Before the Joker would never have been able to beat me like, been able to stab me like that."

"Dick, I'm not talking about your little run in with the Joker," Bruce replied firmly. "I'm talking about my specific orders to stay home and get some rest. I mean, if every other kid on the planet can do that then why can't you?"

"If you haven't noticed I'm not like every other kid," Dick snapped letting his agitation take a hold of him, "every other kid on the planet does not run around in the middle of the night stopping criminals and psychopathic villains! I don't want to be like every other kid if it means staying home every night wondering if Batman needs Robin, you raised me like this, and I don't want it any other way. Otherwise all the training, the fighting, the discipline, means nothing."

"I don't want anything to change," Batman began, "but you can't always be Robin . . . just like I can't always be Batman. You need to be able to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. You know why you couldn't stop the Joker from almost killing you? Because you were not rested enough to think straight, fight straight, and now that you've seen what can happen to you because of this you don't want to endanger the rest of team do you?"

"Of course not," Dick shook his head slightly, "and I understand. . . Can I just get some rest now?" Dick couldn't fight about this anymore, he did understand what he was saying, but he found it all kind of hypocritical. He didn't see the Batman ever staying home to waste time sleeping, although the part of him that saw Bruce as a father wanted things to be mended. That part was so strong that he'd do anything to stay away from letting his objections rise from within the conversation.

Bruce sighed wearily, "Alright, we'll speak of this later."

Robin slept for a day and almost a half, and when he awoke he felt that heavy sleep tying itself around his ankles and wrists like weights. Letting out a long yawn he saw that he was back in his bedroom at the Wayne Mansion. _People just keeping moving me from place to place,_ Robin laughed inside his head, _I'm starting to think maybe I'm a snooze teleporter._

After freshening up for the beginning of the Saturday night he had left he began to feel more revived, more like his original self. _You never truly appreciate energy until you've gone almost a week with only six hours of sleep under your pillow, _Robin thought.

Although his mood seemed much better than it had been any small thought of the Joker or Bruce's words, 'Alright, we'll speak of this later' seemed to drown out any hope for his old enthusiastic self. _It's later and I still can't speak of this,_ Robin thought distraughtly.

Putting on his mask, he snuck out without Bruce's knowledge that he had ever even woken up. Having no plans of fighting or stopping any bad guys he had some unsolved business to finish with a girl and a delivery of folders.

For the past week that mysterious girl had been giving Robin folders full of missions, except the missions were different from normal ones. Inside the folders the missions held vital information on crimes before they even took place, of crimes getting ready to be created. Robin couldn't resist this at the time, it was exactly what he had been looking for, he was able to stop crime before it even unleashed it's evil claws upon the city.

He had to admit it was very suspicious, a hooded girl who he knew absolutely nothing about met him in a dark alley way to give him information on future crimes. He should have told Batman, told anyone in the Justice League, but being in Young Justice he wanted to handle things on his own without the big guys. Plus, his undying urge to fight crime had taken all control over his common sense.

When Robin arrived in the alley way he watched the orange and yellow colors of the sun melt away behind the hills and the blanket of night engulf the city. Although waiting for her was starting to raise apprehension in his mind, he needed to get back before Batman noticed. That's when the hooded girl lurked out from behind the shadows.

"Seeing as you're still alive I can see you handled the Joker," the girl smirked, her voice slippery like a snake, "come for your next mission?"

"Not exactly," Robin rubbed the back of his head as he held the folder out with his other hand, "I won't be taking anymore missions from you anymore. I have another team to attend to, and they need my full attention. Thank you for support against evil though . . . this has been ride."

"You rehearse that speech?" she exhaled deeply. "How can you turn your back on what is right. I know of your little sub, just below, half Justice League of sidekicks, you run around in the big guys footsteps am I right?"

"Not even close-"

"Then let me get a little closer," she interrupted with this sudden resentment as she stepped closer to Robin, "I could dissect you like a dead frog in a high school, hell I could do it even without the scalpel. I can smell your need for a fight, your need to bring blood to those who have caused it upon the innocent, the need to interrupt those who have interrupted the law, and I give you exactly what you need and, yet, so ungrateful. . ."

"I don't wish to hurt anyone," Robin lied, "I do it because I have too."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," she smirked cocking her head to one side, "but everyone deserves the truth so I'm going to give it to you. I know I'm so generous. There is only one difference between villains and hero's, and it's what they fight for, but just because they are fighting for two different sides doesn't mean they aren't still fighting. They are Robin, and it's okay that you have a craving for that."

"I didn't come here for this," Robin told her, "I came to tell you I can't do this anymore. You'll have to find a new hero."

"I already have one," she replied seeming somewhat desperate now, "Robin don't do this. I'll help your team out, I'll give you all the information on all missions before they even strike and you guys will be the best crime fighting team there is . . . even better than the Justice League perhaps."

Robin froze, just pondering and hating himself for even pondering it.

"Do . . . one . . . last . . . mission," she slowly pulled out a thin folder and held it in the air, "just one last time, and you guys will have all the access to all the crimes you want. . . Come on Boy Wonder, what do you say?"

"Okay."

Later That Evening:

_Bats is gonna kill me,_ Robin thought as guilt streamed through his veins, _do this for the team Robin. It's just one last night, and after this things will go back to normal. You're doing what you have to, should do. _Although Robin couldn't escape the feeling that he had just stepped on the wrong path, and now he was practically running down it.

Inside the folder lied information on a group of secret drug dealers smuggling possibly the largest amount of drugs into the city that the country has ever recorded. _Sleazy drug dealers,_ Robin practically rolled his eyes, _no problem_. Robin waited, perched like bird hidden behind the leaves of a tree, until he finally saw a small airplane land on a small landing way behind the building before him.

Two men in suits and sunglasses stood with arms crossed in front of the buildings doors, they looked like a couple of club security guards. Slinking out his twin fighting sticks he took them head on.

"Hey you!" one of the guys shouted, but was silenced with a eskrima stick to the face.

The other guy reached for Robin, but Robin could hear the rustle of his suit from the movement and quickly ducked and turned around. Then he gave a powerful punch to the guys gut, and the guy stumbled back groaning. Then turning around Robin kicked the other guy so hard he fell back onto his back, hitting the cement hard he began to gag. The other guy shouted charging Robin, but the always evasive bird slid out the way just in time for the other guy to trip over the guy on floor.

For a moment Robin almost told the team that he handled the guys around the door through Miss. Martians telepathic link, but then he remembered he was all alone. He suddenly felt loneliness's weight on his shoulders, but he shook it off and continued. _You can handle this yourself Robin, _he told himself.

Sneaking around the building Robin watched two large men began carrying out many medium sized crates from the airplanes. _That is a lot of drugs,_ Robin suddenly grew suspicious again, _but this will be the last mission so just do it._ Just as the large man began to grab another crate Robin threw a batarang that wedged into the airplane.

"Huh?" was all the guy said before it exploded, the force throw the guys back and the airplane lit up in flames. The impact knocked out one of the guys making Robin's job a little easier and a little less fun.

Sprinting as fast as he could Robin jumped up and kicked the guy back, then turned when he saw a swarm of men running out of the open garage door from the back of the building. _The folder said there wouldn't be too many guys,_ Robin thought, _it was supposed to be inconspicuous._

When the men starting pulling out FBI badges and started yelling, "stop this is the FBI!" Robin felt every bone in his body freeze in shock and disbelief, his heart began to hammer. His face about to burn red and his initial response . . . run like hell.

Throwing down another bomb batarang blew them off his track as he sprinted off into the shadows and heading back for the city. Not even stopping to breathe Robin kept running, unable to think, unable to comprehend he just kept running. It wasn't until betrayal dawned on him did he realize what just happened: he had been working with the enemy. . .


	5. Shocking News

"Where are you!" Bruce's voice boomed through the telephone. "I'm going to track your utility belt, and if I have to then I'll drag you back here myself."

"Don't worry, you don't need to track me," Robin gulped, "I'm staying the night at Mount Justice."

"Then why is your mask missing and your sunglasses still sitting here?"

"We had a small mission with some street thugs," Robin lied, "nothing to worry about. Didn't take us too long, and I thought you might not let me go if I told you, and considering it's with the team I figured it's my choice."

"Okay, but we seriously need to talk about this when you return," Bruce replied with obvious irritation sitting unsettled in his voice.

"We will, I promise," Robin lied again, "now I'm going to crash. You know, that sleep thing you're always talking about?" He laughed hoping he could lighten him up, although the tension still stood.

"Good,"

When Robin hung up the phone he was not a Mount Justice, he was standing at a pay phone along a lonely street. Taking a deep breath he felt the weight of everything coming crashing upon him, the lying, the secrets, the betrayal, the fear, everything. Everything that could have gone askew from the line that he once followed so surely certainly had.

_Only two weeks since I've wandered out from underneath Batman's wing,_ Robin thought, _and this is what has happened. _With self-pity hanging onto his cape, worry laced in his mind, and a plan needing to be discovered Robin began to wonder the streets. It was going to be a long night.

The Next Morning:

"Master Bruce, you're going to need to see this," Alfred called to Bruce, "come quick."

Bruce came and sat down in front of the T.V with a mug of coffee in one hand while straightening his tie with the other.

"Late last night authorities have reported to be Robin from the Young Justice team caught destroying FBI inventory," the blonde reporter announced on the news channel, "the materials are confidential, and haven't yet been announced as to why someone would want to destroy them. The FBI hasn't said much on the event, although they say that they had expected some spies trying to get a hold of their materials, but they never expected it to be a member of the Justice League. . . We have also been told that he also attacked four FBI agents, we have security footage from the scene. . ."

They played the footage, Bruce watched unmoving, unspeaking as he saw Robin do exactly what he prayed he hadn't.

"Robin didn't come home last night," Bruce got up furiously.

"But Master Bruce," Alfred began, "surely the boy is being framed."

"There's footage Alfred," Bruce said weakly, "I don't want to believe it, but you can't watch that and say that isn't Dick."

"You know Master Dick well enough to know that he would never do such a thing," Alfred rejected the thought immediately.

"The Dick I know wouldn't do that," Bruce replied in a stone cold tone that sent chills up Alfred's back, "but lately I don't think I know Dick too well anymore."

"I'm sorry sir, but you mustn't say that," Alfred replied, "Dick is your son and I advise you to listen to his side of the story first. This is just too out of character, there must be another reason."

"Then why didn't he come home last night?" Bruce snapped. "I bet he wasn't ever at Mount Justice. If Dick was innocent he never would have snuck out in the first place!"

Silence lingered for a moment.

"Just hear him out Master Bruce," Alfred sighed, "as his father you owe him that."

Just then the reporter came back with more news about Robin.

"We have found some shocking evidence . . ."

Present Time:

"We have found some shocking evidence," the reporter told us with disbelief so strong in her eyes that even the camera's could pick it up, "three establishments have reported that a masked kid in red and black came by late that night and also robbed their stores. One gas station, one jewelry store, and a mini market have claimed to be robbed by the same thief. Authorities checked their footage and have affirmed it to be Robin. . ."

Dick stood before the televisions sitting at the window of the electronics' store, luckily he was able to sneak back to the Wayne Mansion to get his clothes. Not many could manage to do that, but considering he lived there for a long while know he knew his way around the place.

Although now here he stood in a group of shocked people watching as Robin committed his worst nightmare. _That's impossible,_ Dick practically screamed in his head,_ it can't be me. The first time was an accident, but the gas station and the mini market and the jewelry store! That couldn't have been me!_

Although as they played some of the footage he couldn't believe what he saw, because there in the screen was Robin committing crimes he couldn't remember committing. _I'm not a villain,_ Robin growled in his head, _I won't be pegged for one. That is not me. _With his head ringing, his fist clenched, his heart hammering, and everything soon growing slowly out his touch he forced himself to continue to watch.

"Where has the justice gone?" the reporter continued. "Is the line between justice and in-justice becoming too thin?"

_I've raised controversy, I've created a contradiction,_ Robin chided himself sorrowfully, _I've created a bad rap for the Justice League, people don't know whether to feel safe or not, and it's all my fault._ Suddenly the world began to blur, his head began to pound slowly, his heart slowed down, and dizziness spilled upon him. Then he staggered away from the TV trying to keep himself from passing out. Then subconsciously he heard the words drift through his mind, _this is not me._

Present Time:

"They're wrong, they have to be!" Wally shouted at the TV.

"They can't hear you Kid Brain," Artemis rolled her eyes.

"But that was Robin, was it not?" Superboy asked with a bewildered innocence.

"I have to agree with Wally, it's just not like Robin," Kaldur shook his head.

"Why would he do something as horrible as that?" M'gann joined in on the commotion of voices.

"He wouldn't do that, I know Rob," Wally exclaimed jumping up off the couch.

"Then why do they have footage?" Artemis asked in obvious agitation. "I don't want to believe it either, but face it, he betrayed us! He's on the other side now, and as much as it sucks there is nothing we say can change that."

"You're wrong!" Wally shouted in resentment. "I've known Robin far longer than you have, and he is the last of us that would ever commit those crimes."

"Well, maybe you know him," Artemis rolled her eyes, "but what about the rest of us? He's always so secretive, so who knows who is really behind that mask of his."

"But Robin is a good guy Art," M'gann declined, "we've got to trust him."

"Whatever," Artemis snapped, and then she stomped out of the room. Artemis knew how irrational she was sounding, and she did feel a pinch of guilt for just blindly accusing Robin without even hearing his side, although how could it be blind when they have evidence?

"You must be insane to turn on one of your friends!" she heard Wally yell after her.

"I didn't," Artemis whispered, "he did."

Part of Artemis knew she was bringing this out on Robin because of her sister, although she hated to believe Jade had that kind of control over her_. I'm just sick and tired of people turning their backs on you for the wrong side,_ Artemis thought viciously, _I'm tired of trusting people, needing people, and then having them just betray the ones they care about._

An Hour Later:

"We need to find Robin," Batman spoke coldly to the Justice League, "I've spoke with the Young Justice, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to get contact with him. Although if Robin truly is guilty then I doubt he'll go down without a fight, but as for public and the press we need to clear the air before they start to make more assumptions."

The group of superheroes began to stir like rippling water at the end of his voice, and Batman knew what they were all thinking. Although this was a time to be serious, with or without Robin he had to put on the strongest suit he has and figure out the next step in regaining peace among the city.

Hours Later:

"I know you're here so you might as well come out," Robin announced viscously through his teeth. Sunset, its beautiful colors painted across the walls, and, yet, never had his favorite time of day glowed with such an uncomfortable heaviness.

A low laugh lingered in the air moments after it had been released.

"Come on," Robin hissed.

"Oh, Robin what a surprise," the hooded girl stepped out, a huge grin planted across her face, "I wasn't expecting you. I thought you made a devotion to your little sidekick team?"

"You know why I'm here,"

"Straightforward aren't we?" she smirked.

"What was that supposed to be? That whole stunt with the files," Robin slammed the file upon the cement, papers scattering from it, "revenge for leaving you to fight your own bad guys?"

"Such a naive little bird," she shook her head, "it was never revenge. It was a plan Robin, one that you surprising flew right into without even thinking twice about it. Although I guess being disappointed in you means I get to be satisfied with myself, which is a good deal on my part."

"I suggest you get to the point where you try and convince me not to kill you,"

"That's not a part of the plan," she snapped. "I needed a young, immature, superhero that I could potentially ruin his reputation and exploit him as a villain to the entire city as a way of giving myself a stature like presence in the realm of super villains, and more than a plan it was initiation."

"Initiation? Who are you working with?" Robin pressed harshly.

"Initiation among the Injustice League of course," she smirked, "which would lead too . . . well, you're not ready for that piece of information, you'll know who they are one day, but sadly not from me and not today. Though, what really intrigues me Robin is that you, a member of the Young Justice, would just blindly walk into this. . ."

"Doesn't matter now, because I'm gonna-"

"You shook off all suspicions," she interrupted speaking louder to get his attention fixed onto her words, her slippery voice trying to squeeze inside his thoughts and twist with his mind, "you knew nothing about me, or my files, or where I got them, or what I could be up to, and you still accepted. My theory is that you're are like me-"

"I'm not like you-" Robin began now steaming.

"But you are," her voice overlapped his, obviously infuriating him more, "you run around with your little sidekick friends, and you don't let anyone know anything about you. You trusted me, because you expect your friends to trust you and have your back even though you still can even show them your face. . . You never even wanted to see my face. . ."

Robin opened his mouth to fight back, but what she began to do shocked him speechless. She grabbed the tip of her tipped hood and flipped it back revealing a strong face with a dainty pixie nose. He had never seen her before in his life.

"So what? How does seeing your face change any of this?"

"Not mine," she whispered, then suddenly her face began to morph into his, and now he stood face to face with a girl with his face, "yours."

The Next Day:

"I need your help," Robin gulped with his head held high, although he couldn't deny the weights on his shoulders and neck. His chest hallow, hopelessness dragging him to places and people he thought he'd never have to go to, and sorrow tightening his throat.

After moments of silence a voice arose from the shadows, and even squinting Robin could see only but a dull glimmer of pale white skin.

"What could a sidekick want from me?" he snapped full of resentment.

"Your help, you're the only one who can get me out of this predicament," Robin said shamefully, "I need your mind. The peace parade, it will be live TV, and the whole town will be there. If you can make them forget all the footage of the framing involving myself, then I will do anything you wish."

". . . Anything, hm?" he pondered for a moment.

"Please,"

"Deal, I'll give you what you need, but if you fail to return the payment you shall owe me then I will have you removed from these streets forever."

**Hope you guys liked it!**


	6. I've Got the Rest

"If we're going to find Robin then we're going to need to split up," Kaldur announced to the group of sidekicks now walking down the street, "a kid who can practically make himself invisible is going to be hard to find, so be sure to look everywhere."

"Got it!" Wally shouted then sped off in blur down the street.

"This is impossible," Artemis growled, "we can't all run faster than a car, and Robin is like a master at stealth. We will never find him."

"We can do this," Kaldur put his hand on her shoulder, "we just need to make it clear that we just want to talk to him. Hear his side of the story."

Artemis nodded holding back her doubts.

Once they split up Artemis found herself irritably muttering to herself and wandering lonely alleyways. She knew they'd never find him, and she wasn't so sure she wanted to find him, because she might not only want to talk to him if she did. She chided herself again and again about being so harsh on him, but then her pessimistic side would blurt in and replay the footage of Robin robbing stores. She'd scoff at that thought.

Not even looking know she began to kick a rock, but eventually she kicked it too hard and it flew within the shadows. Rolling her eyes she continued, although when the rock came tumbling back out she stopped in surprise.

"Who's there?" She demanded.

Then Robin stepped out from the shadows.

"Robin!" she shouted in shock and held back irritation.

Then he put a finger up to his mouth without saying anything, and then he grabbed her quickly and pushed them both back from behind the corner. Looking out around the corner she watched M'gann and Superboy run down the street. _Jeez, _she thought slightly impressed, _how did he hear them?_

Once they were out of hearing range he began.

"I trust you guys, but just to be safe it'd be better to only speak with one of you,"

"Well, you picked the wrong one of us," Artemis declined, "they're all your side. Me, I don't know what to believe."

"I don't blame you," Robin spoke dryly, his voice sounded quiet and distant although he stood right before her, "but you need to understand that it wasn't me who committed those crimes, well, the first time. . ."

"The first time!" she interrupted, and suddenly realized her shock that she was right about Robin. Deep down she had expected it to be false, and for some reason this made her guilt feel better about turning on them.

"Let me explain," Robin continued, "I was in over my head, and I didn't realize what I was actually getting into. I also didn't realize they were the FBI, it was a misunderstanding, but the other times were not me."

"Just some person who looks exactly like you," she replied in slight disbelief.

"Watch this and you'll understand," Robin passed her a pea sized camera from his glove, "give it to Batman, he will know how to hook it up, and make sure they all watch."

Just like when she was a naive little girl watching Jade leave her behind she began to fall for his words, his voice, everything. She suddenly as rushed with reassurance, because she trusted him. She always trusted Robin, and for that she owed him her understanding. Her guilt rushed over her again. _If Robin proves he's innocent Wally will never let me live it down,_ she chuckled in her mind.

"Okay," she spoke gently take the camera in her hand.

"Tell them not to worry, I'll handle the rest," Robin turned away from her, "I have to, it's the only way."

"Okay," she repeated.

"I have to go now," Robin replied.

"Wait," Artemis grabbed his arm, and then she pulled him over and hugged him. She could feel Robin's shock from his limp arms, and she rolled her eyes at his shock that someone like her would be kind enough to hug someone. "You guys act like I'm as cold as stone."

They laughed, and with that he left.

"Find anything?" M'gann asked as the group got back together.

"Yeah," Artemis held out the small camera.

"A chocolate chip?" Wally squinted at it.

"Can you get food off your mind for five seconds?" she laughed playfully smacking him in the back of the head. "It's a camera."

"From . . ."

"Yes."

Late that Evening:

"Master Bruce," Alfred walked into the room, there stood a statue like man standing at the large window of the Wayne Mansion, "is everything alright? I would hope it would, considering Robin is innocent."

"Everything is better than alright," Bruce replied without in a monotone and eyes still locked on dark shadows of the earth beneath the moon, "I just, I just should have listened to you Alfred. I was the first to accuse him, the first to not take his side. He's my partner, my son, I should have been the first to listen."

Pain hung on every word leaving his mouth, it torn at Alfred's heart to see him this way.

"You can't be too hard on yourself sir," Alfred tried to reassure him. "With everything going on, and the footage, no one could blame you."

A long silence passed, Bruce was obviously deep within his thoughts.

"So what do you plan to do?" Alfred finally broke the silence.

"What I need to do," he replied, "take his word, and let him try and fix it."

"You think that he can?"

"What other choice do we have?"

That's when a loud banging pounded against the front door, although by the time they hurried to it no one was there. Just a ginger breeze playing with the fallen leaves of autumn, and a note nailed to the door. Grabbing the note Bruce read it:

'_Destroy all footage, I've got the rest – Robin._'

The Weekend:

"We are here at the Nation Peace Parade now," the announcer announced to camera crews, "there has been plenty of festive games and food set up, so come and get involved in all the fun. We here would just like to dedicate this to hope that our streets will clear up soon, and that our heroes will regain our trust once more."

Masses of people huddled around to watch the parade, voices carried in the air like a million balloons released into the sky, children with faces painted, families picnicking, hot dog contests being cheered on, bands playing live music, cheerful couples dancing, and tourists endlessly snapping pictures at everything. The sun was brighter than ever, its vibrant rays causing sun lotion and sunglasses to emerge from bags.

Two celebratory hours went by, and finally the last band finished their music, and the announcers took to the stage. Everyone huddled quickly together to listen and watch.

"We have a few guests taking the stage today," the deeply voiced announcer blurted into the microphone, "first up the major has prepared a speech for this special occasion and here he is." The major took the microphone, and then he began his speech.

His words just an echo in the back of Robins mind, his heart pulsing with every bit of fear and doubt his mind could conjure up. _This has to work, _Robin whispered in his mind, _this just has to._ Although Robin still had some faith in himself, his plans always worked.

"Thank you all for coming today," the major grinned giving a quick nod, and then stepping off the stage the crowd began to clap.

"Alright," the announcer retook his place before the microphone, "I've just been informed our next guests, the Justice League, will not be here for their speech, but not to fret they have someone taking their place." The crowd clapped hesitantly with concern laced among their face, and as they waited for the guest to take the stage whispers and snickers filled the air.

_Here we go_, Robin thought with fear stinging in his veins.

Out came the next guest, a man disguised, and wearing a long black gown-like rope with his hood hiding his face with shadows. The crowds chattering got louder, gasps releasing into the air with shock at this mysterious man.

_Come on,_ Robin begged in his mind as he watched breathlessly as the hooded man stood there. Then pulled back his hood the crowd began to gasp which was followed by delayed screaming. For a man with lifeless white skin, pale green eyes, and a clear head that showed his own brain stood before them with a small smile across his face. It was Psimon.

The authorities jumped up, but before they could grab Psimon they were all stopped in their tracks. Every single person stood frozen, except for Robin who had left the scene just in time. Then using all his strength he took the mass of their minds, locked onto one memory in specific and completely erased it from their minds.

Then he slipped out before anyone could recall what just happened. What just happened? Robin was no longer a wanted hero.

. . . To be continued.

**The next chapter will be up very soon, and don't worry just because things seem solved there is more twists and turns in store. This isn't the end of plot, I promise. With this story I have I kind of planned for everything to sort of trigger another problem after another (if you couldn't tell, ha) so there will be more. Anyways, hope you liked it. Please, please review!**


	7. Speak Up

A Day Later:

M'gann

"Where do we begin?" M'gann exhaled in a sarcastically hopeless voice.

"Anywhere really," Black Canary replied, her voice tranquil and soft like the breeze, "but if I was to direct it somewhere I'd begin with one question. Out of all the chaos, the footage with Robin, and what I bet to be a large commotion of different opinions what were you thinking? Feeling?"

M'gann had her back as stiff as a board, her hands rested politely in her lap, and her jaw tightened so tight it looked uncomfortable just to talk. Before answering she analyzed the room lightly, there she and Black Canary sat in those two green sofa chairs facing each other, and the sound of the water gently trickling down the small waterfall like fountain. For a moment she just let herself absorb the serenity. Although she never thought she'd be back here, but as selfish as she thought it sounded she was thankful it wasn't her fault they were all sent back to some one on one time with Black Canary. Though she never really understood why Artemis and Connor had complained about it, it really wasn't that bad, nice actually.

"Well, at first there was a lot of bickering," she began, "nothing severe, not even fighting, just thoughts bouncing off thoughts – not in a sense of telepathic communication, but as in thoughts in the form of voice." She suddenly felt flustered.

"I understand,"

"And, well," she hesitated, although Black Canary's reassuring nod made her continue, "don't tell anyone. I'd die if they knew this, but as much as I want to say I was completely on Robin's side and didn't believe he did it I can't. Honestly I wasn't on either side . . . I was . . ."

She thought for a moment, and then continued with her face lighting up.

"Hello M'gann," she spoke up dryly, "I wasn't on either side because I was waiting to hear their sides. I just wanted to agree with whatever they had to say, God, am I that desperate for friendship?"

"But, M'gann, they are your friends, you know that right?"

"Yes, of course," she jerked her head back up, "I just at times need . . ."

"Their approval?" Black Canary intersected her trailing voice. "You know M'gann its okay to disagree, to have an opinion on things. Just because they believe in something doesn't mean you have to, that's what makes someone who they are."

She sighed, "I know."

Kaldur:

"M'gann and Connor were obviously confused on what they believe," Kaldur expressed his thoughts on the story, "and like always I took my position, and before we knew it we were walking down the street and I was explaining another plan."

"And this bothers you, am I right?"

"Yes," he admitted, "I mean, I completely believed Robin was innocent. Not for the same reason's Wally believed this. Wally believed this because he and Robin obviously have a close friendship."

"Instead of assessing your friends, let's assess you for a moment," Black Canary guided the conversation. "So why did you believe Robin was innocent?"

"I thought this for two reasons," Kaldur explained, "the logical side was that it was completely out of Robin's character to do such a thing, and second is because I didn't want it to be true. Not only is Robin a friend, but he is also the one. . ."

". . . To take your place as leader one day," she admitted for him.

"Yes," he nodded, "it's horrible I know, but without Robin I might – I'm sorry, it would be wrong of me to speak of Robin in such a selfish way."

"I understand," Black Canary nodded, "but understand this Kaldur, nothing here will leave this room and it's okay what you're feeling. We have to think of ourselves at times, it's not selfish to worry for one's self."

"Thank you."

Wally:

"Let's just get this whole talking thing over with, 'kay babe," Wally winked in an obviously cheesy way making Black Canary roll her eyes, "I've got some left over pizza in the microwave that's calling my name."

"Wally," she said strongly, "I know you act like everything is nonchalant, but I know from this and our last session that you must not be as held together as you act. I heard about how desperate you were when you found out about Robin, care to explain more?"

Wally could say he never expected to back here, although he didn't mind some one on one time with Black Canary. Although he considered the whole therapy, talk about your feelings a complete buzz kill, it just wasn't necessary. _Not everything needs talking over,_ Wally thought.

"I wouldn't say desperate," Wally leaned back in the seat getting himself overly comfortable, "I was just worried, disagreeing really, Rob's a good friend of mine, I've known him the longest so I would know. I just hated to see someone as dedicated to stopping injustice as Rob being pegged as a villain. Artemis just couldn't see that!"

"You mention Artemis?" she asked lifting an eyebrow.

"Hey, she was the one was who was accusing Robin," Wally defended himself sitting up in less than a split second.

"You've become defensive?"

"I'm going to get my pizza,"

"Wally, wait-"

Although it was too late her hair was blowing back from the wind of him speeding out of the room.

Connor:

"I don't really know what I'm supposed to say,"

"Whatever you feel," Black Canary sat up resting one leg over the other.

"I don't feel much about the situation," Connor confessed, "it happened, and then it was solved. End."

"What about the in-between?"

Connor sighed at that part.

Artemis:

"I heard about your immediate reaction to believe the press," Black Canary told her quietly, "its okay, but Kaldur said you sounded pretty upset."

"I'm a pessimist, what can I say?"

"You can say why it bothered you so much," she pushed her slightly, although after not speaking Black Canary pushed more, "is it a possibility that this whole situation has some connection to what happened with you and Cheshire. . ."

"No!" Artemis quickly sat up suddenly frantic. "We're not talking about my sister, she doesn't have that kind of hold over me, I simply saw the proof before us, and, well, you know what they say: seeing is believing." She calmed down once more.

"You say she doesn't have a hold over you, and, yet," she continued, "you react quite severely to thought of talking about her."

"I do not!"

"Artemis I know it's hard to except, but," she began, "just because one person may have hurt you doesn't mean they all will. These are your friends, you can trust them, you can't judge everyone on the fear they might hurt you the way your sister did."

"I'm not afraid, but thanks anyways," she grumbled, but Black Canary could sense an honest appreciation in her voice which was enough for her.

Robin:

"With everything that happened I can't imagine what you're feeling right now," Black Canary confessed, "so how are you feeling about everything Robin?"

Robin smirked dryly, his eyes locked on the ground and his shoulders slumped, "So much. I'm just disappointed in myself, I feel guilty about putting Batman and the team and the Justice League through all this, I felt hopeless, and worst of all I was afraid for a long while there. I was actually afraid, not to say I didn't just push that feeling back as far as I could and continued with the mission. Just like Batman would have, I carried out with what I needed to do no matter what."

"If you were afraid why didn't you turn towards Batman or your friends?"

"I was too deep in," Robin admitted, "I had gone off the chart and sunk as low as I possibly could. I couldn't turn to anyone, I was on my own. God, I know I said I wasn't sure I wanted to be or even could be the next Batman, but now I'm positive I can be. How can I keep working with him when all I can think about it how I will never live up to the Dark Knight. I've never seen him so disappointed in me."

"Robin, you're not perfect, no one is," she began, "not just humans, even Martian's and Kryptonian's. We all make mistakes, and it's okay because we all have the ability to learn from them. Which you obviously have, and we all understand what happened to you was an accident. Even the Dark Knight makes mistakes, so there are no hard feelings left. We're just glad you're back." She gave him a sincere and familiar grin that did relax him quite a bit.

"Thanks Black Canary,"

After the session with Robin, Black Canary knew who she needed to talk to next. Even though they didn't have a scheduled appointment with each other she knew she needed to speak with Batman. Someone had to.

Later that Evening:

Robin settled himself back at Mount Justice, just soaking in all the hominess that he had missed so much. He chuckled thinking of M'gann and her burnt cooking as he gazed at the empty, little kitchen, and Connor making eyes with M'gann from the other side of the room, and he could picture Wally and Artemis fighting over the TV remote, and then Kaldur would walk in with some news of some sort. It was amazing to be back, it was being able to regain a long lost memory.

Although this was soon interrupted when he got an incoming transmission from his holographic computer, clicking it open Psimon's face appeared.

"It's time for your part of the deal,"

**Sorry this chapter was mostly talking, I wanted to do the whole therapy session with Black Canary because I loved it so much on the show. Thanks to everyone who reviewed or reviews ;)**


	8. Part Two

**I decided to make this the second part, it will all still be posted on this one story so don't worry, but I decided to split it into two parts because otherwise my story is kind of turning into a run-on story. I know everything connects with each other, but I want to make sure it doesn't seem to drag. I debated this for a long while, whether or not I should just turn into a sequel off this one, but considering I only have seven chapters and the fact at time some people find sequels kind of annoying in a sense you have to read the first so I decided against it. Sorry if this sounds a bit like two plots shoved into one story, but I didn't want to just finish this one and leave people hanging with all the twists and turns I promised, ha. So this is kind of like two Robin stories that connect together in one. Luckily this is just Fanfiction and not a novel. Well, enough of my rambling, enjoy!**

**PART TWO:**

"I know Black Canary probably already tried to counsel you too," Robin let out a small chuckle, "but we haven't really gotten the chance to talk since all this went down."

"It's okay Robin," Batman replied lightly, "I can't say I'm the happiest with you after everything that happened, but you are a teenager after all. . ."

"Except I don't sneak out to parties or movies, I sneak out to fight criminals and villains," Robin smiled warmly while rubbing the back of his head.

With that they both began to laugh like two old friends finding each other ten years ahead. With their laughing their stresses and worries seemed to drift away from their bodies, at least for that time being, and Robin suddenly felt strong feelings of having missing Batman as his partner and mentor. It finally dawned on him that everything Robin had did was for this, was to be back under the wing of the Batman, to be his young protégé again. He finally had back what he had been looking for, and, yet, he knew it could not last.

_If only the Young Justice could see Batman laughing_, Robin thought, _they'd never believe their eyes._

"I've been thinking," Batman began after a moment of silence, "it wasn't right of me to just force you off the Dynamic Duo, but you have to understand it was only temporary. I can't see how two weeks was that hard for you to restrain from."

"You were having all the fun without me," Robin smirked, "so I found my own fun."

"I don't know if being almost killed, and then framed is that fun," he replied.

"Okay, maybe not those parts," Robin exhaled with his newfound relief.

"And I know your plan never got to happen," Batman began, "but it's probably the best that Psimon just happened to be erasing minds the week we needed him too. He'll never know he accidentally helped the Justice League." They both laughed, except Robin's laugh was more nervous than anything.

_Yeah, it was an accident,_ Robin thought in head feeling back about lying again to everyone, _lying is becoming a bit of a continual disease. Hopefully it never becomes terminal. _Although Robin was certain he was going to refrain from lying after everything really blows over.

"Yeah, didn't even have to dirty my hands," Robin nervously agreed.

"It's good to have you back," Batman replied warmly, and then with that they hugged. It had been a while since they had, although for once something felt right. Robin also always appreciated when Batman would step out of his statue like presence and show some affection, he knew it was hard for him at times.

Batman's POV:

"It's good to have you back," Batman replied warmly, and then with that they hugged. For a moment Batman thought he'd never let Robin go, he loved him like the son he raised him to be, and for a while he almost lost him. He never truly thought about all the danger he had brought Dick into when he decided to make him his fighting protégé, but when his worst nightmare almost happened he realized how without Robin he lost himself too in a way.

Later that Evening:

Although Robin got some downtime as Dick for a while, he still had to painfully return to the night to solve some more unfinished business. He felt his hands tremble as he painfully covered his hardly seen eyes, and snuck out onto the shadowing streets of night. Just the feel of the cold wind teasing with his cape sent chills up his spine and reminded him of all that had happened.

Watching his holographic computer Robin was lead into an old warehouse, cobwebs hung like protective coating over old crates, dust stirring gentling around his feet upon the frigid concrete, and a single lamp creating a circle of fake, yellow light within a room engulfed in darkness. Stepping into the light he realized he was not alone, he had been waiting for him. _For once it's the other way around,_ Robin thought to himself.

"Good to see you want to live," Psimon announced stepping out before him, his presence eerie and disturbing like a dying animal, "for a moment I almost thought you weren't going to deal your deal."

Robin replied, "I keep my word, but now I'm here so the sooner you can explain the mission to me the sooner we can move on with our lives."

"So straightforward Robin," a new voice suddenly echoed throughout the building, Robin turned around in all directions with his shock trying to spot out this new voice, but Robin could recognize this voice a mile away. "Did I ever tell you that you becoming more and more like old Mr. Bats every time I see you?" The Joker stepped out from the shadows, his head cocked to the side like making his neck look broken, and his hands jammed in the pockets of his purple suit.

"Joker!" Robin shouted. "What is he doing here?"

Psimon opened his mouth to respond, but the Jokers bone chilling and maniacal laugh interrupted him.

"So hostile, can never take a joke," Joker smirked with a devilish look smeared across his face."

"I don't know what is going on here, but-" Robin was suddenly cut off back a poking pain his back, and then reaching behind him he grabbed the small syringe and pulled it out of his back. There stood Poison Ivy and the rest of the Injustice league, they circled around him stopping him from making any quick escapes.

"Oh, relax Boy Blunder we're just here to, uh, how should I put it?" Poison Ivy sauntered forward. "Seal the deal."

"Seal the deal?" Robin repeated in a perplexed tone, until he found himself unable to speak. Dizziness slowly spelling over him he fell to his knee's with fear now sparking in his heart like sparklers,

"Seal the deal we shall," Psimon's voice broke in ignoring Robin completely, "now you have brought what I have requested, yes?"

"So anxious to get this kid bird off your hands, and, yet, you bargain at such a high price," Joker stepped forward, his presence, his voice obviously intimidating Psimon.

"We did what we could, but the kid isn't worth that much," Count Vertigo intersected, "it was too risky."

"What!" Psimon hissed.

"Oh, calm down we brought half of the order," Poison Ivy rolled her eyes while looking at his nails obviously bored out of her mind, "we brought the sphere."

Suddenly the sphere appeared.

"The Superboy would have been pushing it," Black Adam joined in.

Although what they didn't realize is why they were talking Robin had already conjured up a plan to make a quick escape, and now it was time for his not so grand and entirely unbalanced exit. Robin swiftly slung a gas pellet up into the lamp above his head, breaking the light and releasing gas around them. Coughs unleashed, and Robin quickly rolled off into the shadows. Grabbing onto the wall and staggering to his feet he started limped blindly in the dark.

"Get him!" he heard Poison Ivy shriek.

Voice's filled the room, the his head spinning wildly, a sudden ringing began screaming in his head, and then he felt the concrete as he fell to the floor. The last thing he felt was the harsh grip of a hand as it grabbed a large chunk of his hair and began dragging him back, and then everything went black.

Meanwhile:

"Aw, man, why isn't Rob here?" Wally plopped down onto the sofa besides his fellow teammates with a huge bowl of buttery popcorn and bags of chips trapped underneath his arms, "how can this be movie night without Robin!"

"After everything that happened you shouldn't be so surprised he couldn't make it," M'gann replied as she slyly scooted closer to Connor.

"He and Batman probably have some talking to do Wally," Kaldur told him.

"Yeah, not everyone bounces back as fast as the 'Kid Flash'," Artemis crossed her arms obviously mocking him lightly.

"Kid Flash doesn't bounce, he runs," Wally shot her a quick, flippant glare. He began to sulk, although as they started to decide what movie he "bounced" back quite quickly again.

"So we rented some comedies and a psychotic slasher film," Connor announced holding the DVD's up in the air, "what do you guys want to watch?"

"Considering Artemis is probably too cold to laugh, we should watch the slasher movie," Wally replied pretending to stab himself with a knife as he imitated the film.

"God, do you always have to act like that?" Artemis rolled her eyes.

As they continued to bicker everyone secretly thought the same thing, and that was that one day they'd both realize how much they both liked each other. One day they'd see it, but for today they'd be watching a twisted horror with all the blood and guts their adrenalin craved.

Artemis couldn't stop scoffing at the bad effects, Connor secretly indulging on the fact that M'gann was constantly screaming and hiding her face into his chest and clutched onto his arm, Kaldur stayed professional although his face did seem to twitch at times of the gore, and Wally laughed a lot at the bad acting.

If only they knew that miles away from their fun get together Robin just slipped into, yet again, another horrible, if not worse, situation.

Meanwhile:

"Oh Bird Brat, it's time to wake up. . ."

**Again sorry I decided not split the stories, like I said part 2 is more of the sequel to this in the same story. Anyways, asides from that thanks reviewers!**


	9. Time to Wake Up

**Sorry about the error's in my last post, I forgot to check it for error's and the edit/preview button on this site doesn't work on my computer. Anyways, I'll be sure to reread this one.**

The Next Morning:

"Thanks Alfred," Bruce nodded as Alfred poured him some coffee.

"You're welcome sir,"

"Alfred did you see Robin this morning?"

"No, sir," Alfred replied, "but seeing as he was eager to get back to his missions and the team I'm sure he's already at Mount Justice right about now. Would you like me to call someone and check?"

"No, no, I'm sure you're right," Bruce declined, although deep down his protective instincts were yelling at him to call, but he needed to trust Robin again. It was the only way for things to get back to the way they used to be, and plus Robin did seem eager to start training with the team again. Although another part of Bruce was still feeling horribly guilty about believing the press, about calling his own son a criminal, and in this case his guilt was winning against his instincts.

Meanwhile:

"Oh Bird Brat, it's time to wake up. . ."

Slowly opening his eyes the world in front of him seemed to sway back and forth, his stomach turned just at the blurry site of the Joker peering down upon him like a half alive insect smashed on the road.

"Shit, how much was in that syringe? He's been out all night," Poison Ivy groaned, "and this has been everything but amusing."

"Maybe it wouldn't be so annoying if you stopped complaining," Atomic Skull growled harshly at her.

"I wouldn't complain if you'd let me have my turn at the little brat that destroyed my beauties," she snapped while gently stoking the leaves of the plants she had kept in a small tank-like containment.

"You'll have your turn," Count Vertigo replied sternly.

"You don't set up a prank you'll never see," Joker turned sharply towards her, "otherwise it's useless. The point isn't to kill, it's to watch them be killed, to see that look of pure fear in their eyes as their life hangs on a thread that you could cut at any moment. To never hear the screams, to never hear them begging pathetically for their lives, to never watch them wallow in a puddle of their own self-pity and terror is a complete waste of time."

"This has been a waste of time," she stood up straight and faced him.

Walking away from here and towards the computers on the other side of the rooms he began messing with the technology. That sinister laugh slipped out from his mouth, and he replied, "if you're going to set up a prank you'll never see then you get a recording."

Later that Afternoon:

Entering the Mount Justice he found the team practicing their fighting skills, Black Canary observation for their areas that need improvement. Red Tornado and Martian Manhunter were conversing on the other side of the room, and other than that everything looked and seemed how it always was. Except for one thing, Robin wasn't there. He analyzed the whole room twice, nowhere to found.

_Now Bruce he could be anywhere in the Cave,_ Batman assured himself, _but why isn't he training with the others then? He never misses training, let alone anything. _Feeling paranoid he decided to approach Black Canary, even though she seemed completely consumed in the lesson at the moment.

"I don't mean to interrupt your lesson," Batman stepped in.

"You got a good reason I've got the time," she replied with a genuine smile.

"Did Robin come in for training?"

"I haven't seen him come in yet," Black Canary turned towards him now with concern on her face.

"Excuse my overhearing, but we all thought Robin was with you," Kaldur stepped forward and away from his opponent Connor.

Batman sighed suddenly starting feel anxious and annoyed again.

Sensing this Black Canary replied, "Well you needn't worry, I'm sure he's fine. He probably just got held up, it is a Saturday after all."

"It's just not like him, plus I haven't seen him all. . ."

That's when the holographic computer before them began to beep, but soon the whole screen started to fuzz with static.

"What's going on?" M'gann asked aloud in her bafflement.

No one answered, because everyone was wondering the same thing.

Finally the screen began to show flashes of something, but it was flashing so fast no one could make it out at first. It wasn't until they heard that ominous laugh shoot out from the speakers did they realize who it was, and then as the screen finally lit up and there was the Joker before them.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen!" he called out, his voice full of mock and a desire for some petrified reactions.

"Joker, what are you up to!" Batman snarled through his teeth.

"HA, but the real question should be who do I have that you don't!" the Joker exclaimed, and then turning the camera fear slithered up their spines and made their hearts pound like motors.

There was Robin lying sideways covered in ropes and wires that tied around his legs and arms and back strapping him onto a metal table, half of his face was swollen, clumps of blood dried down the side of his face, his shirt torn and stained with blood, and there were probably bruises except you wouldn't be able to see it considering his face was painted terribly to make him like a clown.

"Mmmmmh! Mmmmmh!" Robin screamed in despair and rage, but his screams came out muffled from the duck tape taped over his mouth.

"ROBIN!" Batman yelled completely consumed in his own terror to see his son like that, and then the pure hate and rage kicked in. "JOKER YOU SICK BASTARD LET HIM GO!"

"He's too young, you can't do this," Black Canary begged with trepidation screaming in her eyes.

"Well, I disagree," the Joker replied with his lips and throat tight as if he was trying to keep himself from screaming, "you're never too young to die my dear, if so they wouldn't be able to die would they?"

"Joker, I swear if you hurt him anymore I'll-"

"You'll what?" Poison Ivy stepped out interrupting Batman's threats, and with her stood the Injustice League. M'gann and Artemis practically gasped in unison, while Batman stood paralyzed with fists clenched so tight it looked like the skin on his knuckles was going to rip off and his eye brows so tight he looked like he was ready to commit murder. No one could blame him.

Poison Ivy continued, "We're over here, and you guys are over there. In fact, it's a little too late for that as you can see."

"Robin, we're coming to find you," Batman ignored her.

"Ah, ah, ah, not so fast," Joker replied putting his repulsively twisted face too close to the camera, "you see we're going to play a game, and the rules are if anyone leaves this room, which we can tell this is a two way call right here, and so I see anyone leave I'll simply. . ." Then he pulled out his gun and put it to Robin's temple, and then at the sound of a gasp he cocked it.

Then as his insane laughter infected the air around him he returned back to the camera.

"This isn't a part of the plan Joker," the heard a delicate females voice from the background, "you are wasting time everyone's time. If you wish to use what I have offered, then you need to give me my percentage then let me go."

"Who was that?" Kaldur stepped forward.

"Doesn't it seem like everyone's got a plan?" the Joker continued. "She's got a plan, I've got a plan, hell you guys are probably wetting your pants just trying to think of one now, but there was one plan that stood out over every plan, and you know why? Because, I WAS ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE GAME! Heroes always INTERFEREING with plans, making messes of everything, well I had a plan that would stop their plans, all of their plans, EVERYONE! Thee end in a never ending chain of plans. . . This the part where you guys would applaud me to tell you."

"Get on with it Joker!" Batman shouted like a viscous dog protecting its territory.

"Hmm, here I am making a little movie for you all and you all are just so nasty about it," Joker snapped giving him the more vile glare that hit like daggers, although Batman did not flinch, he stood his ground seeming completely unafraid and returned the look. This did not please him either. "Well, if you heroes are going to be a bunch of critic's about everything I guess I'll just have to make this show a little more interesting. . ."

**Don't worry this isn't going to turn into a torture story, there is only going to be some torture, so warning next chapter will have some torture.**


	10. Too Many Enemies

**Thanks for the new reviews guys, oh and warning some torture in this chapter!**

"_Well, if you heroes are going to be a bunch of critic's about everything I guess I'll just have to make this show a little more interesting. . ."_

"Joker. . ." Batman threatened as he approached Robin.

"You must stop this!" Martian Manhunter joined in using his stern expression to hide his worry. "Just let the boy go Joker."

"Now what was I saying again?" Joker ignored him while slowly slipping out a knife, and then he gave a quick grin almost as if he could sense their pause in breath. "Oh, yes!" He shouted then stabbed the first half of the knife into Robin's arm.

A commotion of yelling and gasping from everyone unleashed, although Batman's thunderous voice overpowered theirs and echoed off the walls. His voice wasn't earsplitting, but rather it was powerful like if he yelled loud enough he could be able to destroy everything in his path like Black Canary could. It was the kind of pure abhorrence and misery that could make a burglar drop his gun and surrender, that could paralyze a rabid dog, and stop a speeding car, but it's too bad it wouldn't stop the Joker.

"I saying a never ending chain . . . of . . . plans," he slowed his words as he slowly and forcefully dragged the knife across his arm. Robin screamed his muffled screams, his face cringed in anguish, as he struggled to shove the Joker away from him.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

"You know, I bet you think you know what my plan is," he began, his casual voice lurking with an eerie appeal, "the simple solution is just to kill everyone who stands in your way. That's the easy way out, the less satisfying way . . . and that's just not the way I work. I mean, you have the expendables that you kill off so you can get to the bigger and better prizes, but when you really come down to it you realize you need to savor every . . . little . . . emotion. . ." Then he turned around, and grabbed a jar of some kind of liquid.

"JOKER!"

"You don't just simply turn the lights off, you slowly dim them," at those words he began to pour the liquid into Robin freshly cut wound, and Robin's entire body jolted like a sudden burn to the skin, and then he tensed up like every muscle in his body was being tied into knots. Sweat appeared on his forehead, and he yelled out in pure agony as some steam began to float up from liquid in his wound. Then he pulled out a piece of sandpaper, "Maybe let it flicker a bit."

Now jerking hard the Joker began to rub the sandpaper into his wound, ripping his recently torn flesh even more. His sleeves and gloves now covered in Robin's blood, and, yet, not one ounce of disgust snuck behind his eyes.

M'gann was now sobbing with her head rested on Connor's shoulder, Wally was practically twitching with resentment, and Kaldur and Artemis tried not to give into the Joker's game although they just couldn't hide the pain plastered across their faces. They tried to push away any thought that they could lose a team member at any moment, and there was nothing they could do now.

"Oh, I know what would make this better," he stopped for a moment, and then he ripped the tap off Robin's mouth. Then he began tearing into his wound again as Robin cried out in pain. "Ah, like music to my ears. You know, you guys don't look so well-"

"You're not going to look so well after-" Wally shouted out.

"-he's dead?" the Joker interrupted him quickly. "Well, if you insist."

"What do you want Joker!" Black Canary shrieked. "Just let it go!"

"Let it go, leg it go, let it go you say?" he pondered for a moment. "I'd much rather not, this kid has been a pain in my ass for the last two weeks, I mean he always was kind of a pain, but more so than usual." Then grabbing a large chunk of Robin hair he yanked his head up, and brought a knife to his throat.

"JOKER!" Batman spat. "If you kill him it will be the last move you make."

"Beg! Beg, or I'll slit your throat," Joker demanded bringing his twisted face closer to Robin's.

"Burn in hell!" Robin threw his head into the Jokers nose almost breaking it, almost.

"ROBIN!" the Joker spastically threw the knife across the room and grabbed a tight hold onto his head. "Are you aware that I COULD SNAP YOUR NECK IN AN INSTANT?"

"Get off him!" Wally shouted, and with that he surprisingly released his grip.

"Fine have it your way," the Joker replied slamming Robin's head down onto the table, and then reaching into a drawer. "Tough as nails are you?" He brought out a long nail, although before he could do anything Poison Ivy stepped in shoving him away.

"Stop hogging him you selfish clown!" she snapped. "It's my turn at him!"

"You had your turn!" he shouted back.

"Enough of this!" the feminine voice returned, and out stepped a slender girl in a white lab coat with her blond hair swept back into a tight bun. "Either we return to business or I shall take what I have to offer and leave."

"Fine take your cash you cheap harlot!" Poison Ivy screamed and threw a large pile of cash at her. "The rest is in the back, now give us the samples and get out!"

"About time," she replied with a cocky half smile. Then she pulled out four test tubes with red liquid in them, and handed them to the Joker. "I warn you, those are samples, and they could be lethal. Their illegal so we never got the chance to test them, so before you make copies be sure-"

"Thanks DOCTOR!" Joker mocked her still gazing into the samples.

Rolling her eyes the women left without a second glance at the injustice taking place before her.

"Be useful, and turn that camera off!" Joker shouted to Poison Ivy as he began injecting the sample into a large shot with a small needle.

"Wait, don't-!" Robin shouted just as the camera went black.

"Robin! No!" M'gann shouted in panic.

"Let's go, now!" Batman shouted through his teeth as he strutted past their paralyzed bodies.

"But where? How will we find him?" Wally asked ignorantly.

"We will!" he shouted back. "It looks like they're in a warehouse, the women from the video had a Cadmas lab coat on, and that was a medical table. They're at Cadmas." He continued still completely absorbed in his new mission to save his son from the criminally insane.

"Wait!" Connor exclaimed. "We destroyed Cadmas."

"You did destroy it, it's been under construction for some time now," Batman replied harshly, "it isn't complete yet, but they have to be there."

"It's the only lead we have," Kaldur pointed out, "so let's go."

Meanwhile:

"W-W-What are playing at Joker. . ." Robin stuttered through the searing pain he felt, "what are you going to do? K-Kill me? They'll f-f-find me."

"You heroes really don't listen do you," Poison Ivy inquired.

"T-t-then what, torture me more? They're probably on their way right now," Robin mumbled. Although he was putting on his toughest act the thought of them hurting him again was unbearable to think of. Then painfully lifting his head he looked over at his wound, and then quickly looked away at the sudden rush of his stomach turning and the feeling of almost throwing up.

"Hm, tempting," Poison Ivy smirked as she slowly dragged that bloody knife across the top of his wrist, not too hard, just enough to create small lines of blood. She seemed memorized by it, and she'd always let out a small giggle when he'd flinch from it. "You want to know why it had to be you?"

". . . Why?" Robin asked suspiciously.

"Oh, stop talking to that brat and get over here," Atomic Skull demanded.

"Shut up!" she hissed back still cutting Robin's skin. "It could have been any superhero, although we knew the best lab rats are the naive, easy to get, sidekicks. It also happens when you make too many enemies. What with that stupid girl giving you all the inside information to our plans, then you'd come screw with everything and leave. Actions have punishments."

Robin remained quiet, shocked that they knew about the girl.

"Well, she's dead now."

"Okay, we're ready," Joker pulled up the shot now filled with the red substance.

"You better hurry up, Boy Blunder over here is probably right," Poison Ivy shot him a quick glare.

"It's too bad they have to miss the best part," Count Vertigo spoke up.

"They haven't missed the best part," Joker replied as he found Robin's vein, and injected the red liquid into it, "but we will. . ."

Ten Minutes Later:

Batman practically broke the door open when they arrived, and before the team knew it he was gone into the darkness of the large building. Robin wasn't only one good at disappearing. They searched the whole building until they came across a small room.

"This is where it happened," Kaldur spoke quietly as they entered finding the medical table with nothing but some of Robin's blood upon it. The entire place was empty.

"NO!" Batman shouted in rage now, and then he flipped over a smaller medical table next to him. "Robin!"

They listening with heads dropped in defeat as the originally still wind gusted up again outside and racked again the thin walls of the building. The team slowly began to walk away, although Batman just stood there lifelessly. His eyes rested shut.

"It'll be okay," Black Canary put her hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"No, wait," Batman whispered, everyone continued to listen. Then they heard something pressing slowly along the concrete followed by a quick rustle of metal. Then walking over to a pile of boxes Batman threw the boxes aside to find Robin lying almost unconscious on the dusty floor.

"Rob!" Wally shouted, and everyone ran over.

"I've gotta . . . I said that I . . . coming," Robin mumbled all sort of things, but he was obviously dazed and somewhat delirious.

"It's okay, you're safe now," Batman told him as he picked him up in his arms to take him back to Mount Justice.

**It's not over yet, there is more coming up**


	11. Another Side

**By the way I realize I spelt Cadmus wrong in the last chapter, if my edit/preview worked I changed it, but it doesn't. Sorry!**

"When is he going to wake up!" Robin awoke to Wally's incessant complaining. "If he's going to be okay then why is he still sleeping?"

Batman shot him his petrifying bat glare.

"Wally, his body took a large amount of stress," Kaldur began to explain, "too much pain and the body will start trying to block it out by going unconscious."

"It's called shock Kid Smarts," Artemis rolled her arms.

"I knew that!"

"Then why were you asking?"

"Do you guys have to bicker so loud?" Robin moaned chuckling weakly.

"Robin!" M'gann let out a giddy scream.

"You're awake, man, I thought you were going brain dead on me," Wally laughed.

"We're just glad you're okay," Artemis sighed in relief.

Their cheerfulness filled the room, and Batman couldn't help but stand there and smile. He was just thankful he was alive at all, although something was worrying him. He'd have to bring it up sooner or later, but he didn't want to stress them out now.

"We should all go to the beach!" M'gann suggested cheerfully. "To celebrate your being okay."

"That's a great idea," Wally jumped up smacking Robin's arm.

"Ow, jeez, Wally, still sore over here," Robin groaned from the pain from his bandaged arm. Suddenly seeing his sorry look for hurting him he decided to reassure him, "yeah, that sounds great. I think I just need some time to regain my strength."

"There will be no running about until Robin has healed more," Batman informed them, "he can't overdo it."

"We understand," Kaldur nodded.

Looking up and seeing the somewhat worried look on Batman's face Robin decided to speak up, "So what's the situation? I'm alive, and everything is okay right?"

"Seems to be," Batman replied looking at his computer, "you lost a bit of blood, and your wound could have and probably would have taken on an infection if we didn't take care of it as soon as we did, but asides from that you should be on your feet again soon. . . There's just. . ."

"What?" Robin pressed suddenly feeling anxious again.

"Well, I think I've identified some sort of unknown substance in your blood," Batman continued, "it seems to be harmless, but if it's what I fear it is then we might have a problem."

"It can't be, the lady with the samples," Conner thought aloud.

"They were at Cadmus," Kaldur added quietly.

"Do you remember if they injected you with anything Robin?" Batman asked.

"I was hoping that part of my memory had been a pain induced hallucination," Robin sighed bashfully.

The room suddenly grew quiet a sticky awkward feeling in the air.

"Well, like Batman said," Wally included desperately, "it seems harmless. So what's to worry about? They said they had never tested it before on anyone so how do they actually know it even does anything?"

"They also said it could be lethal," Robin said in a hushed tone.

"Could, _could_ be," Wally repeated obviously trying to push away any thought that his friend might be in danger again, especially now that they just got him back.

"We'll have to do some more tests, no need to worry yet," Batman spoke up, "we're just going to be safe so you'll need to stay under examination. No missions for a while, understood?"

"Yes," Robin stated certainly. Batman had been through enough and he wasn't about to fight him about something like this now, although he couldn't but be disappointed, and livid at the Injustice League.

Two Days Later:

"This sucks," Robin randomly blurted out.

"Robin, hold still," Batman commanded, "I'm never going to get this gauze on your arm if you keep fidgeting." Finally he got his healing wound bandaged up again after checking for any infections and tending to it.

"How much longer do I have to lie around like this?"

"It's only been a day," Batman informed him, "most kids would like to be able to stay home from school and do nothing."

"Nothing is overrated," he told him laying back, "I need some sort of action."

"Let's not forget what just happened because of that," Batman replied sternly.

"I haven't," Robin sighed, "I just want to beat the crap out of something."

With most of Robin's strength back it was hard to be so full of energy, yet, have a broken body. He could hardly lift his arm without pain shooting up from his elbow to his shoulder, the scar on his chest burned whenever he curled up from a lying position, and the healing gash on his face made it painful just to smile. What kind of sick person makes it painful to smile?

Occasionally he look down at the little scab lines on the top of his wrist, and he'd think of Poison Ivy. He could still hear her voice slithering through his mind like a raindrop sliding down the glass of a window, sometimes it'd even give him chills. He wondered how long they knew he had been working with that girl, but more importantly he remembered what she said about what happens when you make too many enemies. He never truly thought about it, that if all the team's entire list of enemies had stood together and fought them could they actually beat them? He shook this thought away feeling meek.

"There won't be any fighting just yet," Batman told him, "you're not ready yet."

"Bummer," Robin's shoulders dropped, "well, I'm guessing since I'm still alive that substance was nothing?"

"I think so," Batman assured him, "we just have to be careful of any symptoms. Such as when you said you weren't feeling good yesterday, things like that."

Feeling his jaw tighten all he could to was nod in agreement.

Later that Afternoon:

"Rob!" Wally called out when Robin walked into the room.

"Good to see you're back on your feet," Kaldur gave him a quick nod.

"Thanks guys," Robin chuckled, "luckily Bats finally let me out."

"So you're all good?" M'gann asked with concern.

"Completely – or, well," Robin began, "we think, there is still the whole substance situation going on, but other than that there's just some healing up to do."

"Well, take a load off," Wally plopped down on the couch.

"Eh, I've been lying down all day," Robin exhaled deeply, "we need to go somewhere. Do something fun, like the beach."

"I'm up for it!" Wally shouted.

"Wait, but are you okay to go?" Kaldur asked.

"Yeah, Batman wouldn't rip our heads off if we went?" Artemis joined in.

"Like I said guys, I'm sore, but not crippled," Robin shrugged, "I'll be fine, and Batman is fine with it as long as I'm not doing anything too vigorous. He can't lock me up forever, you know."

"But are you sure it's alright?" Kaldur asked again, obviously worried.

"Don't worry about it, really," Robin insured him, although he could still see some uncertainty in Kaldur's eyes.

Ten Minutes Later:

"What took you guys so long?" Wally shouted as they stepped onto the beach.

"We didn't all run here," Artemis replied while flipping back her long blonde hair.

"KF go long!" Robin shouted throwing a frizz-bee across the air.

"Come on Connor," M'gann began pulled Connor along with her, "as the humans do we're going to build a sandcastle."

"Something bothering you?" Artemis asked quietly to Kaldur after the rest of the team went off to have fun along the sandy seashore.

"I should not have anything bothering me when we're are supposed to be enjoying Robin's being back and safe. . ." his voice trailed.

". . . but?"

"I'm just concerned, I know Wally and Robin like to pretend everything is fine," Kaldur sighed, "but I can't seem to shake off the possibility something could be wrong."

"They're just being optimistic," Artemis replied, "and you just need to chill."

"If only it wasn't so hot outside," with that they both laughed and went to join their friends.

After an hour or so Wally started complaining about the bad sunburn on his back, and Artemis just had to take the opportunity to say she told him so about the whole sun block disagreement they had earlier, although this passed when Wally couldn't stop gawking at M'gann in a bathing suit. Kaldur had spent most of the time walking knee deep in the ocean, it always relaxed him to feel the water rushing around him.

"Hey Rob, grab me a soda from the cooler would ya?" Wally asked while laying in the shade of the umbrella they set up.

Getting up Robin replied, "It's sad when you make the wounded get you things, especially when it will take you less than a millisecond to get it yourself."

Although once he began walking he suddenly felt a rush of dizziness spell over him, and he stumbled a little. Putting it off he grabbed the soda, although a moment later it came back stronger except this time with weakness in his bones. Falling to the sand he began coughing violently.

"Robin!" Wally shouted, and everyone turned to see exactly what they hoped not to see.

Everything around him started to seem foggy for a moment, and then suddenly he began to cough up blood onto the sand. _Shit,_ was all Robin thought in his dazed state.

"I knew this was a bad idea!" Kaldur shouted. "Come on quickly, help me get him back to the bio-ship!"

"Rob what happened!" Wally asked, although his worlds sounded distorted and distant like he was talking in a tank of water.

Then the moment Kaldur grabbed onto Robin's shoulder Robin took the soda in his hand and smashed it down onto Kaldur's hand. Kaldur let out a groan in pain as he pulled back his hand.

"You happened Wally," Robin snapped looking up at Wally, his eyes suddenly burning bright red and filled with pure hate and rage, "next time get your own god damn soda. Your power's a complete waste you lazy slob."

"Robin!" M'gann screamed in shock at what he had just said.

Suddenly Robin fell back again and started groaning as he held his head in his hands. He felt himself coming back into reality, and he couldn't believe what had just happened and what he had just said to his best friend. It felt like something else was controlling him, he'd never say that, and, yet, he did. Whatever came over him terrified him, that kind of loathing and anger. And against Wally? He could never hate Wally. For now all he knew is that he never wanted to feel that out of control again.

That kind of rush left him trembling, bewildered, and begging for answers he just didn't have.

"I-I-I'm so sorry, Wally, I d-didn't mean it," Robin apologized desperately, "I don't know what came over me-" he stopped grabbing his head again as it began to throb in rhythm with his heartbeat. "I don't know what happened. . ."

"It's okay, you're sick," Kaldur quickly said as he grabbed Robin for the second time, "come on we need to get him back to Mount Justice."

**Don't hate on Robin okay! I hate to bring out his evil side, it's so sad - okay it's kind of fun, but I had to do it for this idea. Anyways more coming up, please review because I'd love to hear your opinions on Robin suddenly lashing out on Wally. Thanks :)**


	12. Failing to Heal

"Why couldn't you have just gotten your own soda?" Artemis fought with Wally on their way back to Mount Justice.

"Sorry! I didn't know he'd freak out like that," Wally apologized.

"Guys I can hear you, you know," Robin pushed the words out of his mouth, "and please don't feel bad Wally, I'm the one who should feel bad."

"It's okay," Wally nodded, "I know you're all wacked out right now."

"Wacked out! Do you know what this means?" Artemis snapped.

"We'll figure everything out with Batman when we get back," Kaldur interrupted them with his serious, determined voice.

Five Minutes Later:

"What happened?" Batman demanded once they entered with Connor helping Robin balance himself and the rest with their eyes nervously averted. Except for Kaldur, of course, who was ready to take whatever Batman had to say head on.

"It's no-"

"We think Robin had a reaction to the substance or something," Kaldur interrupted Robin, he wasn't going to let their 'optimism' deny the truth.

"Just a little light headed back there," Robin spoke up again, and then he barely dragged himself onto the medical bed.

"Light headed? You couldn't even walk straight," Artemis blurted out.

"He said he's fine Artemis," Wally defended him.

"But you were coughing up blood," M'gann joined in with her innocent voice. Then before they knew a commotion of voices broke out, and everyone was talking at once.

"Okay, okay," Batman hushed them, "I need to speak with Kaldur now. Robin wait for me here, and the rest of you should probably go train with Canary. I know she's been waiting for you." With that the group shuffled off.

Once out of any ears Kaldur told Batman the story from beginning to finish.

"It was very bizarre," Kaldur told him, "it was like he was a completely different person."

Batman let out a disappointed sigh, "It's what they've injected him with, and there's nothing we can do to know whether it's going to get worse or not."

"Can't you give him some sort of treatment?"

"I can't unless I know what the substance is, but it's obviously foreign," Batman replied, "and even if I did know what it is there could be so many complications in trying to cure him. I know my way with a medical kit and research, but I'm not a professional."

"I understand, just please don't give up."

"I wouldn't."

That's when they heard the sound of metal crashing down upon the tile floor. Robin was now on the flow trying to scramble towards them, although he was obviously too weak. He looked like he was choking, yet, he wasn't making any noise.

"Help-" Robin's breathless voice came out barely audible, his face covered in despair.

"Robin!" Batman shouted as they ran over to him, grabbing him they put him back on the bed.

"He can't breathe!" Kaldur yelled back to Batman.

"Calm down, just relax," Batman told him as he brought out an Ambu bag, then putting the mask over his mouth he began to push the pump to get air to his lungs.

"Is he having another-"

Then after some time Robin pulled his face away from the mask now gagging, but heaving with air. Kaldur sighed in relief that he was okay, but they couldn't be so sure. Suddenly he looked back up at them, his eyes piercing red again. His face twisted with disgust and hatred.

"Robin. . ." Kaldur whispered in his perplexity, although his eye was drawn to something other than the evil now across the boy's face. He saw a glint of something silver in his hand, a scalpel. Although it was already too late, because Robin then plunged the scalpel into Kaldur's upper arm, he yelled out in pain.

In a split second Robin threw his fist towards Batman's face, although mid way there Batman caught his hand in his.

"What are you doing!" he snarled, with his eyes locked onto Robin and his head swimming with disbelief and concern it made him distracted.

Then with his fist still in his hand Robin threw his foot up and kicked him straight in the jaw, and then with the other foot his kicked him in the chest pushing him back a few steps. Then he turned back to Kaldur, and then he elbowed him in the shoulder which was followed by a swift sidekick to the face throwing him back onto his back.

Just as he jumped up, and prepared to run off he suddenly fell back to his knees groaning from the pain.

"Robin, let us help you!" Kaldur shouted up to him.

Suddenly the evil Robin jerked back.

"You help me?" he repeated in a mocking tone. "You can't even help the team, you're not a leader!" Suddenly he jumped off the bed and began to slowly approach him. "You break under the pressure, you can't hold the weight of the responsibility, you're nothing of a leader compared to what I could do. All you've ever done is lead the team into the ground, that's why they all look down at you, because you're a complete disappointment to everyone. Even to Aquaman-"

"Robin stop!" Batman demanded like sirens.

"Don't tell me what to do you pathetic excuse of a mentor, you're just as much as a disappointment as he is," Robin spat, "I don't know why you even pretend. You're not my father, even if you were you'd never have what it takes." Then he stopped and began to snicker ominously. "I don't need you, just like I didn't need my own parents, hell, if Tony hadn't killed them I would have cut the ropes and watched them plummet to their deaths myself."

"You don't mean any of this!" Batman shouted back. "This isn't you Robin."

"I AM ROBIN! This is me!" he yelled back, his voice so viscous it could make a protective dog cower away whimpering.

Then suddenly he began to groan in pain as he fell to the floor trembling slightly. Then he felt himself coming back again, it was like a sudden rush of water being dumped over him, and now he was back. His heart hammering in his chest he began to hate himself, began to hate himself because it wasn't just hatred and disgust lurking like a ticking time bomb within him, it was the kind of a pure evil that the criminally insane have when they torture, hurt, and kill the innocent. . . He couldn't think of a curse worse than this.

"Guys . . ." he mumbled as he slowly began to lift himself feebly from the ground.

"Are you back?" Kaldur asked still slightly in shock.

He began to nod although a moment later he found himself stumbling over to the barf buckets attached to each bed and began puking into it. Besides the burning sensation in his throat and the pain in his stomach he could feel their fear beating down upon his back. He could feel their fear of him, or maybe it was fear for him, either way he didn't like it all.

Pulling away from the bucket he abruptly fell back onto his side, and everything went black.

"What are you doing?" Kaldur asked, still sitting on the ground feeling limp. He knew one thing for sure, he never wanted to see a friend like that again.

"I had to sedate him," Batman replied, his pain and guilt lingering noticeably in his voice and face, "just for now. I need to be able to see what's going on with him, and I can't if this happens again."

"But-"

"He's a danger to himself and everyone else," Batman said so harshly that even he regretted the words from his mouth. He couldn't help it though, this was Robin, and he just got him back. Now he was losing him again, it felt like every time the wound began to heal someone would come along and cut it back open again. Even if it healed there'd be a guaranteed scar in the aftermath and in this case an ugly one.


	13. The Outcome

The Next Day:

"Now I know why you're the Joker, because you're a joke," Poison Ivy snapped from across the table. "We should have taken the kid with us when we had the chance."

"She's right," Count Vertigo agreed, "not only did we have to break our backs getting the sphere, but we paid for an experiment that we never even got to see the outcome of."

"Yeah!" Black Atom slammed his fist down onto the table. "You better have a good reason for this Joker."

With the back of his chair turned towards them he just let out a laugh with such amusement in his voice that it seemed to mix with a wicked mock.

"Is this funny to you!" Atomic Skull shouted now enraged.

"It is. . ." he agreed nonchalantly.

"Joker, this isn't funny anymore!" Atomic Skull snapped back at him.

"It was always funny," he simply replied. This only irritated them more, and the fact that he knew how much it bothered them that he didn't lash back at them made it even worse. Sometimes Poison Ivy wondered if his spastic changes in mood were because he was literally insane, or whether he was just a criminal genius who knew exactly how to cut at people's skin without a knife. She hated to admit she was impressed.

"What do you know?" Poison Ivy asked, her voice seductive and smooth. "You're hiding something from us."

"Now what would I be hiding from you," he slowly turned around with his hands folded neatly in his lap. She couldn't deny it satisfied her to have gotten his attention.

"I should have guessed it!" Black Atom stood up. "We've been helping him get back at the Batman all along, we're just some expendables who've been manipulated into helping him do his dirty work."

"No, no, no, now that's not it at all," Joker leaned up slamming both his hands down onto the table before him, "if I wanted to manipulate you then you all would be wearing clown masks and we wouldn't be having this conversation. You joined me because you all are really, and please do take offense to this, bad at being the bad guys. So actually it would be me who is helping you."

"You helping us?" Atomic Skull repeated in disbelief. "I know you think you're higher than us Joker, but if you really were then Batman and Robin would be dead. You're not the better bad guy here."

"But I am," Joker snickered, "notice how I could have killed Robin, broke his neck and then indulged on the fact that I made his precious mentor watch in horror, but I didn't. Why end a game that never gets old, and in this case I'm making the game more fun."

"What does the toxin do?" Poison Ivy asked calmly.

"Why would I know?"

"You do know," she demanded.

"Okay, I do!" he let out a giddy laugh and Atomic Skull and Black Atom grunted in anger. "You got me, I've known all along what it would do, and now that that is out in the air you must trust me on this, we _will _have the outcome. . ."

Meanwhile:

"I'm sorry," Robin apologized.

It surprised Batman, he didn't even know he was awake, and this lead him to wonder how long he had been awake.

"It's okay," Batman replied, his eyes still locked onto the computer screen, "it's the substance, you couldn't control it. It's not your fault." He sounded like he was reading off a list, although Robin was used to it.

"I should apologize to Kaldur," Robin said starting to drag himself out of the bed, although just sitting up made him head spin.

"No, you're not strong enough," he told him, "you're too sick."

"Sick?"

After a long silence passed, Batman continued, "Kaldur understands it wasn't you. There is no need to apologize, just go back to sleep."

"I've been sleeping for hours, and-"

"Robin, you need to rest," he commanded, "I don't want you to accidently trigger whatever happened before again."

"Only because I feel like crap," Robin laid back again pulling the blankets up higher, "its freezing in here, isn't there a heater in this place?"

"It's not as cold as you think," Batman informed him, "you have a fever of a hundred and three, so I suggest you take this Tylenol and here is some water. Drink as much as you."

"Like I said before, this sucks," he sulked taking the medicine.

Later that Day:

"Is Batman letting us see Robin yet?" M'gann asked the moment Kaldur entered the room.

"No, he is sleeping right now," he sighed rubbing the back of his neck.

"You've been acting weird all day and yesterday," Artemis inferred, "anything wrong?"

Seeing their worried faces all gazing upon him, begging their leader for answers he couldn't truly provide, made him feel like a scared child lost in a sea of concerned adults.

"And you were hurt yesterday," Connor remembered.

Remembering the last time he kept news from the team he knew he had to fess up eventually, they'd figure out sooner or later.

". . . It was Robin,"

"Wait, wait, wait," Wally jumped up.

"No more waiting Wally," Artemis shot him a glare. "Why did he hurt you? Is it like what happened before?"

Kaldur nodded slowly.

"Robin wouldn't intentionally-"

"Uh, the soda can, Kaldur's hand," Artemis gave him a 'duh' look.

"Not intentionally, it wasn't him," Kaldur continued, "all I know is that he isn't well."

"Well, what can we do?" Connor pressed suddenly feeling for Robin, knowing what it is like to be the outcome of an experiment.

"Nothing for now," Kaldur informed them, "all we can do is wait."

"Wait!" M'gann exclaimed. "But if Robin's not well, then we must do something!"

"Robin's fine," they suddenly heard a voice from behind them, turning they saw Robin leaning awkwardly on the kitchen counter. His shoulders raised uncomfortably, his dark hanging down like spikes over his face, and his bright red eyes covered by his mask.

"You know, you really shouldn't talk about people behind their back," he smirked, his voice coming out in sharp huffs like he was holding back a deep rage.

"Not again," Kaldur gulped.

"Robin, what's wrong with you?" M'gann asked feeling immediately that something was wrong with him, she felt in his presence. She couldn't deny it gave her the creeps.

"What's wrong with me?" he repeated. "What's wrong with you Martian girl? Got a skin condition?"

"Robin stop," Kaldur demanded suddenly feeling like Batman as M'gann morphed into her human girl cover.

"Oh yeah, go ahead use your powers," Robin mocked her, "why don't you just 'accidentally' put us all into a coma again. Maybe this time you can actually kill us. You're pathetic inability to control your own powers makes me glad to be human."

M'gann put her hand to her heart, his words hurt her deep.

"Hey! That wasn't her fault okay!" Connor yelled back defending her.

"Aw, aren't you guys great for each," he smirked, "one can't control her mind and the other can't control his emotions. The only difference is she actually has a dear uncle who cares for her, what do you have? Superman?" He began to laugh. "You mean those slimy scientists who created you."

Connor now in rage yelled out and punched the wall.

"Don't hurt yourself, just because you're a Kryptonian," he began, "oh, wait, you're not a Kryptonian. You're a clone, a man-made weapon that walks and talks. Eh, more like a talking action figure if you ask me."

"I don't know whether you're Robin or not, but you won't be able to talk so much trash when I get through with you!" Artemis yelled.

"Weren't you the first one to die in that simulation?" Robin replied viciously.

"That's enough!" Wally shouted. "Rob, we're you're friends."

"Friends? All you guys have done is held me back!" he yelled.

"Robin, I know you're in there!" Kaldur shouted. "You have to beat this!"

"Shut up fish boy!" he screamed back obviously fighting back himself.

"Robin, you need to focus," Kaldur instructed, "bring yourself back like you did last time. You can do this!"

"I said shut up!" he yelled grabbing a knife out of the kitchen drawer as he ran towards Kaldur, although before he could kill him with it Wally speed by and snatched it out of his hands. Although this did not stop him, he jumped up and kicked Kaldur in the jaw and turned to Artemis.

He dodged most of her hits, making her yell out in anger, and it wasn't until she threw her foot up to kick him did he grab her leg and throw her into Connor. So M'gann jumped into the fight and began telekinetically throwing plates from the kitchen at him. He threw fists at her, but each time she's throw a plate in the way and glass would go everywhere.

"Please Robin, we don't wish to fight you!" M'gann exclaimed backing up and running out of plates. Just as she was on her last plate Connor rammed into Robin throwing him hard into the wall. Although Robin's quick fighting skills were no match for Connor, the moment he was back on his feet Connor couldn't get one hit.

And eventually Robin ducked and got behind Connor kicking him into the wall, and then rushing Wally. Throwing hits and punches that Wally sped out of the way to miss.

"Rob . . . stop . . . please!" he yelled in between dodging fists.

"Such a coward!" he yelled still fighting. "You'd be down in an instant without those powers!"

Then Wally thought of an idea and began to speed around Robin, trying to confuse and stop him. Although when Robin stuck his foot out into the mass of colors zooming around him Wally found himself tripping and clumsily crashing into the fridge. He hit the floor like a brick upon concrete. Turn around he had a bloody nose.

Robin now standing above him, another kitchen knife in hand, prepared to stab him with it. Everyone froze.

"Robin don't!" Kaldur screamed. "He's you're best friend!"

That's when a rope shot around Robin waist, and seconds later it began to electrocute him. He yelled out in pain as he hit the floor. There was Batman with the button to his bat-lasso in hand, sorrow in his eyes, standing there as if he had caught another criminal. He hoped it would never had to have come to this.


	14. A Plan?

Later that Evening:

"The Justice League is doing what they can to look for answers," Black Canary came up to Bruce, "I thought it might make you feel better if you knew."

"I will share my gratitude," Batman replied, his voice quite hopeless though.

"Hey," she looked into his eyes, "don't give up hope okay. Robin needs us to stay strong, we can't give up."

"I won't ever give up," Batman swallowed, "but I don't know how to help him now. I can take care of the fever, the vomiting, the coughing spasms, but it's not going to make a difference now."

"Bruce, what are you saying?"

Painfully he forced the words off his tongue, "He's dying."

"There must be something-"

"I can treat him and keep him alive longer than he should right now," he continued, "but it seems the only time he has any strength is when he's attacking people. I think . . . I think this unknown substance is, in a way, killing the good part of Robin. The part we know."

After a small pause of thinking Black Canary spoke up, "So you think that soon he will be consumed by whatever evil is inside him and there will be no hope of getting him back to his normal self?"

Batman only nodded. With nothing left to say Black Canary gave him a tight hug, although he never understood how he could be so close to people and, yet, feel so far away. His heart was breaking, and the only way he could accept it was to stay the dark, stone-like Batman; except he'd have to be Bruce sooner or later.

Thirty Minutes Later:

Opening his eyes the blurry world around him slowly began to come back into focus. His head was spinning and his chest felt heavy on his heart which made it hard to even breathe. Looking down he was not in the same medical bed. His wrists and ankles were in tight restraints, and there were also four longer restraints across his body.

Still confused Robin remembered being kidnapped by the Joker and he began to panic and struggle to get out. Although when he looked over to see Batman's talk, broad figure next to him it suddenly came back to him, and he began to relax.

He clenched his fists and released them again, then repeated the pattern several times. He did not belong here, this other side of him was driving him insane and obviously the rest of the team agreed to put him in restraints like this. He couldn't blame them, he was afraid of himself also. He had indeed heard Kaldur calling out to him, but to be lost in his own subconscious was frightening beyond what he could imagine. Waiting helpless as his body spits its hate upon everyone around him, it was a nightmare really.

"I was going to kill Wally," Robin thought aloud painfully. His best friend and he was preparing to stab him with a knife, Robin was disgusted with himself.

Batman sighed with remorse, "We're going to do what we can."

"If it's not enough," Robin whispered, "if I ever become that thing, then you have-"

"Robin," Batman interrupted, "it will be okay."

Robin knew better than to fight him anymore on the matter, besides he was too weak to even want to move his lips. After a moment, Batman spoke up just as Robin was about to doze off again.

"What do you think provokes this thing?"

"I don't know," he explained hoarsely, "I just become very, very sick, and then it feels like I've stopped breathing, and everything feels out of touch. Then I'm saying and doing things I can't control."

"That's it?"

"Far as I know,"

"Okay so-"

"Please let me go back to sleep," Robin whispered, "it doesn't happen when I'm asleep."

With that he let the boy fall back to sleep, and all the while it was tearing him apart.

Meanwhile:

"I have an idea," M'gann announced quietly once the team was together.

"Like what?" Artemis asked suspiciously.

"Well, don't freak out, let me explain," M'gann took a deep breath, "I was thinking that if Robin goes back into that state again then maybe I could, well, considering he's in restraints, tap into his head and try to bring him back myself."

"To dangerous," Connor denied, "you never know what could happen, what that toxin did to his brain could hurt you, or worse infect you like it did him. We can't risk it."

"Connor, I can handle myself," she shook her head, "I just think if Robin really is in his subconscious that maybe I can give him a hand in helping him back to his body."

"I don't know M'gann," Kaldur said worried.

"I agree with her," Artemis stood up, "we have to try something, and it's the only plan we've got."

"I'm in too," Wally agreed.

"No! Wait, guys, we can't do this," Connor stated angrily, "we're not going to risk M'gann's life. Have you all lost it?"

"I will be okay, we're a team," she put her hand on his arm, "and when one team member is in danger we must be willing to risk our lives to get them back."

He sighed, because from then on the plan was on.

The Next Morning:

"How is Robin!" Wally practically screamed the moment Batman stepped out of the medical ward, only Kaldur saw the way Batman cringed slightly at the sound of his name.

"I must check into my work now," Batman told them, "Robin is experiencing whatever happened to him before again, so _do not_, actually you _better not_, go in there. If I find any of you in there I'll put you on mission suspension."

"Can you do that?" Artemis asked.

"I can now," Batman replied tiredly as he left them.

"Jeez, he's more bitter than usual," Wally said plopping down.

"You can't blame him," Kaldur turned to Wally.

"Well, we're going in there right?" M'gann asked.

Let the plan begin.

**Sorry you have to wait to see what happens with the plan, I just didn't want this chapter to be too long. Reviews appreciated!**


	15. Interesting

**After typing this section I'm beginning to wonder if this should be labeled as horror, ha, oh well, I guess I just need to tone it down a bit.**

They put on their toughest invisible armor to protect them from whatever vicious words Robin might throw at them, and then they went in.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" Robin was screaming when they entered. "I'LL KILL YOU ALL IF YOU DON'T GET ME OUT!"

Then the moment he saw them he stopped, and gave a spine chilling, devilish smile.

"Well, look who it is," Robin smirked, "my so called 'friends'. Come to actually die this time speedster? How about you Artemis, want me to teach how to actually fight. Maybe then you can stop depending on that bow of yours and win for once."

Kaldur saw Artemis tense up in anger so he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Robin, we're going to try to help you okay," Kaldur said loudly, "M'gann has a plan."

"You can't help him, soon it will be just me," he laughed.

Putting her fingers to her head she entered Robin's mind.

"Get out of my head you telepathic freak!" he screamed obviously trying to get her out of his mind. Then he continued to yell, obviously trying to distract her concentration, "Be careful now, you don't want to accidently make him go brain dead! Listen to me Martian, it's not worth, you know you can't beat me. . . You don't belong on earth, you're the most inexperienced on the team and it shows in everything you do!"

"I can't-" M'gann cringed, "he's blocking me somehow, I think I can hear Robin, but everything's really foggy."

"Want to talk to Robin, then talk to me! I'm right here!"

"You can do this M'gann," Connor assured her.

"No you really can't,"

"Shut up!" Connor yelled losing his temper again.

"Wait, I think I've-" M'gann said through her concentration, "I've found him! I'm talking to him right now."

"STOP! I'LL KILL YOU!" Robin screamed, but then he began gagging in pain trying to keep the other Robin back. Although when Robin's head dropped, they all froze, waiting in anticipation. "Guys. . ." he whispered.

"Robin!" They all screamed in joy.

"It worked! It worked!" M'gann was bouncing up and down now. "I told you I could do it!"

"Thanks M'gann-" suddenly he stopped talking and started coughing hysterically. "Just kidding!" Robin's evil side cackled making them all gasp.

"No!" M'gann screamed.

"I told you that you couldn't do it," Robin mocked her.

"Wait, no! I'm going to help you," M'gann shouted through the tears now streaming down her face, and then he put her hands to her temples again. Entering his mind was the second time was harder than she expected, and then she left the mental shove.

"NO!" his voice seemed to break the air around them.

Then M'gann suddenly let out a scream and fell to the ground.

"M'gann!" Connor yelled falling down to her and wrapping his arm around her. She was now sobbing in his arms, everyone else watched with concern and fear on their faces, anticipation eating away at them like parasites.

"What's going on in here?" Black Canary busted into the room, and then her mouth dropped at the sight as she ran over to M'gann. "What happened?"

"S-s-somehow," M'gann stuttered, "I-I don't know how, but he forced me out. He made me see. . ."

"What? What happened?" Artemis pressed.

"Somehow he pushed horrible thoughts into my mind," she gulped wiping the tears from her face.

"Like what?"

"Go ahead tell them Martian girl!" Robin laughed manically.

"Just . . . just horrible things," she mumbled looking slightly traumatized, "can we please leave now?"

"Come on," Black Canary helped her up, and they left Robin screaming and laughing to himself.

M'gann sat down on the couch, her face in his hands, while the rest of them took a moment to recover from the horrifying experience they just had. They all could have suffocated right then with the air feeling so thick and the thought of Robin's twisted face still lingering in their minds.

"You're not going to tell Batman are you?" Wally finally asked Black Canary.

She sighed, "No, I'll let you guys off the hook. As long as you tell me what in the world you were doing in there."

"We were _trying_ to help," Artemis sat down.

"M'gann thought that she could tap into Robin's mind and bring him back," Kaldur informed her, "it didn't turn out to well."

"Why would you try something so dangerous?"

"We had to do something!" Artemis exclaimed.

"I know you guys feel bad," Black Canary continued, "but you need to let Batman handle this. I'm not going to say it doesn't concern you, but Batman knows what he's doing-"

"Then why isn't he getting any better!" Wally shouted.

"Wally, she's right, we've done what we could," Artemis glared at him.

"You're always the first one to give up on your friends," Wally snapped.

"I am not, I'm being realistic," she replied feeling the sting of his accusation, "just because one of us have completely lost it doesn't mean you have to also!"

"Stop, you guys are friends," Black Canary shook her head, "let's not forget that. . . For now let's all just relax and take a breather." With that she left, obviously getting stressed out.

M'gann hadn't said a word, she was still wondering deeply on how he did that. Whatever was inside of him was strong enough to block her out, and now she knew why they were all so concerned. She couldn't bring this up, not yet. She also couldn't talk about what he made her see those horrible images.

Images of her friends, herself, and even Robin, but completely drained of life. All of them dead, and for a moment she really felt the sudden rush of death pouring down every limp of her body. For a second she really thought she was just going to stop breathing, it left her queasy and utterly afraid of him.

Meanwhile:

"WHERE ARE THEY!" Klarion shouted like a child preparing to throw a tantrum. "I trusted you people, I trusted this left over of Cadmus and this is how you repay me. Four samples are missing from the batch. Who was it!"

Klarion, the witch boy, walked past the four Cadmus workers lined up in front of him. They stood emotionless, arms behind their backs, and their faces tight. All were men, except the girl on the end, the one with the blond hair.

"You thought I wouldn't notice," Klarion gestured to himself in a regal way, "well you're wrong! I notice everything! Fess up now and the severity of your punishment will be lessened, or you will feel my wrath!"

Not one person spoke up.

"I said fess up!" he screamed getting infuriated. Then examining their faces he suddenly grabbed the blonde girl, and brought a knife to her throat. "Speak up now or I'll kill her!" Hearts pounding in the silence, yet, no voices.

"Very well!" he shouted, and suddenly the knife began to cut her skin.

"Wait!" she shrieked. "I confess, it was me." She hated herself for becoming feeble and fretful. He threw her away from himself.

"Where are they!" he screamed in her face.

"I sold them,"

"WHAT!" Klarion yelled and then kicked one of the boxes around them. "When? How did this happen? No, who has them?"

"It's too late," she told him firmly, "they've already used them, so kill me if you must, but I know about the mind control you've been putting over us to help you. I needed some income so I went to someone who would actually pay."

"Who was it?" he hissed at her, and so did his cat Teekl.

After a long pause he answered, "The Injustice League."

"Ahhhhh! You fool!" he started throwing a fit. "How dare you do such a thing! You were to follow my orders, now you will be punished!" He lifted his hand he prepared to hit her with an energy blast, although he paused pondering for a moment.

"Go ahead you spoiled brat, what are you waiting for?"

"Silence yourself!" he barked still thinking. "Have they used the toxin?"

Exhaling she answered, "Yes, and you'll get a kick out of this, on one of the baby Justice Leaguers."

"Young Justice," he gave a deathly glare, "which one?"

"Robin I believe,"

"Serves them right, with my dark magic and your scientific concoction mixed together I hope it kills him," he continued. With the girl gazing at his face she saw something.

"Yet, something's bothering you," she inferred.

"I don't like the idea of my creations running around in the hands of the Justice League," he admitted, "and I will not stand for it."

"It's just one sidekick," she scoffed.

"You don't even know why I created this!" he snapped. "This concoction was to create my own army of minions, minions so twisted and full of pure hate for the world that even I would grow to like them. Now I need him because of you, and in order to do that I'm going to need to work with the Injustice League."

Later that Afternoon:

"Look who it is, I knew you'd call Batsy," Joker laughed hysterically, "so how's the kid?"

"Shut up Joker!" Batman practically slammed the phone into the wall, he couldn't deny the want to tear the Joker's head off. "Just tell me the cure, tell me and I won't hunt you down and destroy everything you have."

"What kill me? Now Bats, I know as well as you do you'll never do that," Joker smirked, "heroes never kill their enemies. Yet, I can kill your sidekick and you'll just let me get away with it. Maybe slam my head into the wall a couple times, and then I'll walk off laughing like always. It always does come down to you and me doesn't it?"

"Just tell me the cure!" Batman yelled into the phone. "What do you want?"

"Bribes! I love it!" he laughed harder now. "How about you deliver ten billion dollars to me, no, I have a better idea! Deliver it in pennies!" Then he pulled the phone away, and Batman listened furiously as the Joker cracked up in the distance. Then suddenly he came back, and his voice completely changed, "I have a better idea, you can watch that substance kill your precious bird, and then you come and try to kill me. Come on Bats, try to kill me!"

"JOKER!"

"Oh, very well, if you're going to be so harsh about it," he suddenly changed again, "how about you and _the Boy Wonder_ come and find me, then if you put up a good enough fight I'll let you have the cure. Simple, easy, that's it."

"Deal," Batman swallowed, he knew the Joker had something else up his sleeve, but he'd handle that later. Right now he was desperate, and just the thought of the Joker was enough to make him grind his teeth so this was about to become interesting.


	16. Collasp

**Sorry this took a little while longer to post, was busy and didn't have my lap top with me!**

A Day Earlier:

"And what could possibly be in it for me?" Joker snickered slowly turning his switch blade from side to side, watching his reflection distort with each turn.

"Help me and I will give you a load of my toxins for whatever you please," Klarion offered.

"You're lying," his words slithered off his tongue.

"And how could you possibly know that!"

"You know why my favorite emotion is the one people give off when they are about to die?" he asked rhetorically. "Because it's true, people show all their inner layers when their in the grips of death. . . You think a man surrounded in openly honest people can't see right through a filthy liar!"

"Fine!" Klarion hissed. "What do you want then?"

"Nothing you can provide," Joker's glare pierced through the darkness, then suddenly he lightened up, "but, hey, I'm a reasonable guy. I play for the fun, not the pay. I'll do it because if you hadn't crawled up here I would have done it myself."

"Very well,"

Suddenly he changed the subject, "Want to see how pathetic you are once a blade is pressing upon your throat?" He held the knife out into the light.

"You truly are insane!" he snapped. "Although I don't think I'd mind to see how you would be with that knife upon your neck." He rolled his eyes preparing to leave.

"Laughing,"

"What?" he turned back.

"I'd go out laughing,"

Present Time:

"You made it!" the Joker laughed. "Shall we see who finally won the game?"

Fog rolled over the roof and seeped over the sides of the tall building they stood upon. Nothing but the moon and city lights in the distance illuminating light for them to see, the wind stirring just enough to wiggle a feather, and an unnatural silence hung like residue. One side of the building stood the Joker, and the other stood Batman with Robin lying weakly next to him with eyes half open. The whole situation made Batman feel like a kid being challenged to fight another kid afterschool, except this time a teacher wouldn't be coming to break it up. The plan was solid in his head, and, yet, they forgot one thing. The Joker's uncanny ability to be unpredictable in even the most expected outcomes.

"Let's just get this over with," Batman snarled starting to approach him.

"Now I know you don't feel that way," Joker teased, "can't we try that with a little more enthusiasm?" Then suddenly he whipped out a gun from his jacket, but the moment his long fingers wrapped around it Batman had grabbed a batarang. Then about to pull the trigger Batman swiftly threw the batarang and hit the gun out of the Jokers hand. "Very good." He clapped slowly, his head dipped downwards, and a menacing look lingering in his eyes.

"But how are you with explosives?" Joker asked flippantly, and then brought out a small black box with a button on top of it. Batman froze. "You want to know where every bird falls?" Then he pressed button, and the building began to shake.

Then the part of the building that Batman left Robin at began to explode as the whole corner of the building began collapsing into smoke and ruble. Batman called out for him, but in hopes it wasn't his imagination he could have sworn he saw Robin grab onto his grappling hook. Robin would be okay, he could handle himself. They had a plan to carry out, and even if he'd never admit it, he'd come as close to death as he possibly needed to complete it.

When Batman looked back the Joker had a mechanical boxing glove on his arm, and suddenly the arm shot out with great power and hit him in the rips. Throwing him back a few steps and breaking a couple rips. Laughing the Joker threw the boxing glove to the side then attacked him head on.

Pain made his face flush and his stomach scream.

Pushing the pain away Batman managed to block and dodge every punch and kick. Until he finally grabbed one of the Joker hits in mid air giving him a chance to knee him in the stomach, then get blow to his jaw as he hunched forward, and threw him back from him.

Then the building began to shake again.

"This whole thing is going to collapse Joker," Batman announced harshly.

"All the more reason to keep fighting!" he shouted back and charged again.

Meanwhile:

Coughing from the smoke Robin found himself dazed and his body still in shock from the fall, he had gotten to his grappling hook in time, but the moment it hooked onto the edge of the building the bricks just gave away. Although it dulled the impact of his fall he could still feel the throbbing pain shoot up his back with every move.

As black shoes approached him he fell unconscious.

Meanwhile:

The only thing that kept the Joker from being pulverized by Batman's strength was his swiftness. The fight could have gone on forever, but that wouldn't have been part of the plan. Eventually Batman got the punch he was looking for, the punch that could have sent the Joker over the ledge, and, yet, there he was holding onto him by his jacket. He could feel his unbreakable grip on the jacket pulsing in his fists and up his arms, his eyebrows grew numb from being clenched so long, and his rips rattled in pain with every breath.

"Wonder how far a drop this is?" Joker looked down, and then he slipped something out of his jacket. A small vile full of blue liquid, and then he dropped it.

Batman knew what it was, the cure.

Then, like an earth quake, the whole building began collapsing beneath their feet.

Meanwhile:

After being kidnapped and taken to Klarion's lair Robin opened his eyes and stopped faking his unconsciousness. _Why I never considered acting_, Robin laughed in his mind. Then he jumped up enjoying his returned energy, asides from the bruises and aching pain in his spine, and brushed off his clothes.

_Robin, we're in your psychic range now,_ M'gann informed him telepathically.

_Just in time,_ Robin thought back, _now let's finish this mission once and for all._


	17. A Finish

"Wait, so what happened?" Black Canary repeated. "Robin is cured?"

"Was cured," Batman stated, "a woman from Cadmus came to me the other day with the cure. Eventually she told me of Klarion's plans to create an army of pure evil minions from innocent people, she also told me that he was planning to kidnap Robin with the help of the Joker. Unwilling to give me anymore information she left."

"So you decided to use Klarion's plan to kidnap Robin as an advantage," Black Canary nodded slightly impressed.

"Exactly," Batman replied, "Robin pretended to still be sick, and then he let Klarion take him."

"During which we were in the Bio-Ship in disguise mode," M'gann joined in feeling proud of her Bio-Ship, "we followed them."

"And wham!" Wally shouted. "We found his little hideout."

"Except things got a little off plan," Batman returned their attention to him, "I hadn't expected the Joker to blow up the building. Although I was able to save myself with my grappling hook, the Joker got away. I looked for his body in the rumble, but he was gone."

"How could he have survived a fall like that?" Robin repeated, Batman could see his unsettled anger lingering in Robin's eyes.

"How did you survive a fall like that?" Wally nudged him.

"Yes, but I had a grappling hook, he didn't,"

"I don't know Robin," Batman swallowed, "but this wouldn't be the first time the Joker has walked away from a life or death situation with not a single scratch to show for it."

"So what happened to Klarion?" Black Canary asked. "What happened once you arrived at his lair?"

"We finished our mission," Robin replied.

A Day Before:

_Robin, we're in your psychic range now, _Miss Martian informed him telepathically.

_Just in time,_ Robin thought back, _now let's finish this mission once and for all._

_You know what to do Robin, _Aqualad spoke up.

_On it, _Robin replied.

Looking around him he saw he was in a large metal cage, and easy enough the lock was a computer scanning system. He hacked in with ease and unlocked the door. After five minutes he responded, _I've got the bombs up and running, we have twenty minutes_

_Okay,_ Aqualad replied, _me and Superboy are handling the security guards, and Kid Flash and Artemis are going to find the toxins._

Robin listened sneaking into the next room, and then his heart froze.

_We've got a problem,_ Robin thought, _he already started his plan. We've got like thirty people down her, half of which are already infected. We've got to find a cure and get them out of here as quick as possible._

_Understood,_ Miss Martian announced, _I will come find you and help you find the cure._

_Awesome, I am hacking into the system right now, _Robin thought back,_ I will have the blueprints in a moment._

_Just hurry Robin, _Aqualad replied.

Once he got his hands on the blueprints he gave Miss Martian quick instructions as to where he was, and then they went off to find the cure.

Present Time:

"So, then what?" Canary asked. "You went to find the cure, if there even was one."

"There was," Robin replied, "except they were locked up in a large containment unit, one with multiple locks and firewalls. It should have taken me an hour to get into."

"So how did you do it?"

"We had some help," Robin continued, "some Cadmus workers tried to fight us off, but during the fight one of them hit their heads pretty bad and seemed to snap out of some zombie-like trance. Then realizing he had been brainwashed, he gave us the code to the containment and we got the cures."

"You got very lucky," Black Canary said seeing the flaws in their mission, but refusing to put them through her corrections. _Another mission,_ she told herself.

"Although things got much worse fast," M'gann stated.

A Day Ago:

After giving out the cures and evacuating everyone, they prepared to leave with eight minutes left on the bombs. Then Klarion stepped out before them, his eyes burning bright red with hate. He had taken the substance himself, but it didn't affect him the same way. He could control it, and it only made him twice as powerful as before.

"Young Justice," Klarion spat, "I'm almost offended the Justice League sent you."

"Klarion, this is the end," Aqualad spoke up, "the building will blow soon, it's all over."

"Don't you speak to me!" he shouted in hate. "This is NOT over! You will pay for what you have done!" Then he lifted his hand and began shooting energy blasts at them, his cat hissing like an animal with rabies.

The team quickly began dodging the blasts, Artemis shot her arrows at him but he flew out of the way of each one, until she shot five flaming ones and he used his psychokinesis to turn them around and shoot them all directing back at her. Miss Martian telekinetically held a metal table in front of herself to protect her, but surprisingly he was strong than her and he pushed the table back into her which threw her into a wall.

Superboy used his body as a shield for Aqualad as they ran at Klarion, then Aqualad jumped out from behind Superboy wiping out his water sword, but Klarion threw him and Superboy back, pinning them up against the wall. Superboy yelled and struggled furiously, but his mental strength was invincible. Kid Flash was too fast for Klarion to catch, but eventually he screamed and let out a wave of psychic energy which pinned them all up against the wall. It made them scream out in pain, he was killing them. Frozen in place with a force so strong it would soon be able to break their bones, but then Robin thought of an idea.

Trying to break the force Robin used all his strength and concentration and slowly lifted his trembling hand, he could feel the bones in his wrist and hand becoming brittle and about to break. But just in time he wrapped his hand around his batarang.

"KLARION!" Robin shouted over and over again. "WE GIVE IN!"

And eventually Klarion stopped laughing in his pride, he couldn't be more pleased. He wanted to hear them beg, it made him feel powerful and unstoppable. Like not even superheroes could stop him, but he was wrong.

The moment he released the psychic blast Robin threw the batarang, it skidded across the air and just missed Klarion. Then crashing into the box of leftover cures it blew up, and the cure formed into a smoke and released into the air. Breathing in the smoke Klarion felt the cure beginning to heal his infected body.

"NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" Klarion shrieked in rage.

Present Time:

"And that's it?" Black Canary replied.

"Yes, even though we destroyed the substance Klarion got away," Kaldur informed her, "he used his teleportation before we could grab him and by then we needed to get out immediately."

"Besides the kinks in the plan, job well done," Black Canary smiled crossing her arms, "if only you had informed me sooner, I could have put you all on extensive training to prepare you beforehand." She laughed.

"Although I'd love to spend more time with you babe," Wally smirked, "no thanks. Sounds like too much work and not enough Wally time."

"Extensive training doesn't sound too bad to me," Robin laughed.

"That's because you don't understand the true reward in television," Wally replied plopping down on the couch and turning on the TV.

"Do you have to be so lazy Kid Slob," Artemis rolled her eyes while sitting down next to him.

"Before you two begin to bicker some more," Batman glared, "let's just be glad everything is back to normal okay. We had some close calls and I hope you all have learned something from this experience."

Although the team seemed a little unchanged by Batman's words Robin thought about it, he thought almost all night about, and the next day about it. He thought about the line he had walked so close too, had walking upon, the line between good and evil. He realized how thin it truly was, it had been inevitable he'd fall. He spent the first eight years of his life working with trapeze not tightrope walking, but now he knew one thing for sure. Where every bird falls a bird has wings . . . . . . or a grappling hook.

END

**Hope you liked it, hope the ending was too cheesy ha. I normally don't have happy ending, but after everything I put Robin threw I thought it'd be a little dark of me to have him die or to become completely evil or something, plus I like Robin too much for that. Thanks for reading guys.**


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